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The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 04
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A curious thing!
HOHENZOLLERN. To what do you refer?
[He looks at him. A cannon-shot is heard.]
KOTTWITZ. Ho, gentlemen! Ho, sirs! To horse, to horse!
That shot is Hennings', and the fight is on!
[They all ascend a slight elevation.]
THE PRINCE. Who is it? What?
HOHENZOLLERN. It's Colonel Hennings, Arthur,
He's stolen his way about to Wrangel's rear.
Come, you can watch the entire field from here.
GOLZ (on the hillock).
At the Rhyn there, how terribly he uncoils!
THE PRINCE (shading his eyes with his hand).
Is Hennings over there on our right wing?
1ST OFFICER. Indeed, Your Highness.
THE PRINCE. What the devil then
Why, yesterday he held our army's right.
[Cannonade in the distance.]
KOTTWITZ. Thunder and lightning! Wrangel's cutting loose
At Hennings' now, from twelve loud throats of fire.
1ST OFFICER. I call those some redoubts the Swedes have there!
2D OFFICER. By heaven, look, they top the very spire Rising above the hamlet at their back!
[Shots near-by.]
GOLZ. That's Truchsz!
THE PRINCE. Truchsz?
KOTTWITZ. To be sure! Of course, it's Truchsz,
Approaching from the front to his support.
THE PRINCE. What's Truchsz there in the centre for, today?
[Loud cannonading.]
GOLZ. Good heavens, look. The village is afire!
3D OFFICER. Afire, as I live!
1ST OFFICER. Afire! Afire! The flames are darting up the steeple now!
GOLZ. Hey! How the Swedish aides fly right and left!
2D OFFICER. They're in retreat!
KOTTWITZ. Where?
1ST OFFICER. There, at their right flank!
3D OFFICER. In masses! Sure enough! Three regiments!
The intention seems to be to brace the left.
2D OFFICER. My faith! And now the horse are ordered out
To screen the right living's march!
HOHENZOLLERN (with a laugh). Hi! How they'll scamper
When they get ware of us here in the vale!
[Musketry fire.]
KOTTWITZ. Look, brothers, look!
2D OFFICER. Hark!
1ST OFFICER. Fire of musketry!
3D OFFICER. They're at each other now in the redoubts!
GOLZ. My God, in my born days I never heard
Such thunder of artillery!
HOHENZOLLERN. Shoot! Shoot!
Burst open wide the bowels of the earth!
The cleft shall be your corpses' sepulchre!
[Pause. Shouts of victory in the distance.]
1ST OFFICER. Lord in the heavens, who grants men victories! Wrangel is in retreat already!
HOHENZOLLERN. No!
GOLZ. By heaven, friends! Look! There on his left
flank!
He's drawing back his guns from the redoubts!
ALL. Oh, triumph! Triumph! Victory is ours!
HOHENZOLLERN. To what do you refer?
[He looks at him. A cannon-shot is heard.]
KOTTWITZ. Ho, gentlemen! Ho, sirs! To horse, to horse!
That shot is Hennings', and the fight is on!
[They all ascend a slight elevation.]
THE PRINCE. Who is it? What?
HOHENZOLLERN. It's Colonel Hennings, Arthur,
He's stolen his way about to Wrangel's rear.
Come, you can watch the entire field from here.
GOLZ (on the hillock).
At the Rhyn there, how terribly he uncoils!
THE PRINCE (shading his eyes with his hand).
Is Hennings over there on our right wing?
1ST OFFICER. Indeed, Your Highness.
THE PRINCE. What the devil then
Why, yesterday he held our army's right.
[Cannonade in the distance.]
KOTTWITZ. Thunder and lightning! Wrangel's cutting loose
At Hennings' now, from twelve loud throats of fire.
1ST OFFICER. I call those some redoubts the Swedes have there!
2D OFFICER. By heaven, look, they top the very spire Rising above the hamlet at their back!
[Shots near-by.]
GOLZ. That's Truchsz!
THE PRINCE. Truchsz?
KOTTWITZ. To be sure! Of course, it's Truchsz,
Approaching from the front to his support.
THE PRINCE. What's Truchsz there in the centre for, today?
[Loud cannonading.]
GOLZ. Good heavens, look. The village is afire!
3D OFFICER. Afire, as I live!
1ST OFFICER. Afire! Afire! The flames are darting up the steeple now!
GOLZ. Hey! How the Swedish aides fly right and left!
2D OFFICER. They're in retreat!
KOTTWITZ. Where?
1ST OFFICER. There, at their right flank!
3D OFFICER. In masses! Sure enough! Three regiments!
The intention seems to be to brace the left.
2D OFFICER. My faith! And now the horse are ordered out
To screen the right living's march!
HOHENZOLLERN (with a laugh). Hi! How they'll scamper
When they get ware of us here in the vale!
[Musketry fire.]
KOTTWITZ. Look, brothers, look!
2D OFFICER. Hark!
1ST OFFICER. Fire of musketry!
3D OFFICER. They're at each other now in the redoubts!
GOLZ. My God, in my born days I never heard
Such thunder of artillery!
HOHENZOLLERN. Shoot! Shoot!
Burst open wide the bowels of the earth!
The cleft shall be your corpses' sepulchre!
[Pause. Shouts of victory in the distance.]
1ST OFFICER. Lord in the heavens, who grants men victories! Wrangel is in retreat already!
HOHENZOLLERN. No!
GOLZ. By heaven, friends! Look! There on his left
flank!
He's drawing back his guns from the redoubts!
ALL. Oh, triumph! Triumph! Victory is ours!
