German Successes. 811 



my door. I was rather freightened, for I thought the French 

 were in the city ; but it was Prince Leopold, my nephew, who 

 had arrived from General Steinmetz's head-quarters, and thus 

 relieved me much. 



Next morning at five o'clock we left per rail for Saarlouis, 

 a little fortress near the French frontier. It was August 4, 

 and we found the people much excited and very busy, for the 

 French were expected every moment to appear before the 

 fortress. 



While waiting near the station I saw two nice plump ducks 

 waddling most incautiously before my eyes, and anticipating 

 the scarcity of victuals always to be found where large masses 

 of troops are collected, and remembering my old campaign 

 principle never to be short of provisions, I took information, 

 most dangerous for the welfare of the said ducklings, and ac- 

 quired them from the owner by means of persuasive words and 

 silver, and the skilfully tlirown-out suggestion that the expected 

 French were extremely fond of fowl. 



We rode from Saarlouis to Hensweiler in company with my 

 nephew, who left us here for the head-quarters of General von 

 Goeben. We managed to dine in that village, and then con- 

 tinued our' march to Tholey the head-quarters of General 

 Steinmetz, who received us very kindly. The threatening 

 movement of the French against Saarbruck had compelled him 

 to advance at once, and that was the reason why we did not 

 find him in Treves. After much trouble we found a room in 

 the house of a notary, whose wife gave us a supper for which 

 Dr. Busch paid amply by saving her dangerously ill baby. As 

 there was only one bed in the room we divided its contents. 

 Miss Runkel remaining in the bed and I establishing myself 

 on the floor. 



Next day the news of the battle of Weissenburg was received, 

 and on the following arrived the still more glorious of Worth, 

 which caused much rejoicing. 



On Saturday the 6th, we were for the first time billeted in 

 a large beer brewery in Hensweiler, where Prince Adalbert of 

 Prussia was also quartered. The Prince had arrived the day 

 before in Tholey, where I had paid him a visit which he re- 

 turned. His Royal Highness was the Admiral of the Prussian 

 fleet, but as he liked to see the fighting he joined the army, 

 as he did in i366, where an aide-de-camp was killed at his 



