"There is something I wish to tell your Majesty. It is this: I called to the Prince to surrender, before and after he shot me."
"Quite so, General, and you did right; you also did right in cutting him down when he refused. You did both Rudarlia and myself a good service in killing him."
He heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank God, your Majesty, I did not know----"
"What I should feel about it? Well, you know now, and can sleep in peace; but be quick in recovering, for I need you."
I had become genuinely fond of Woolgast. He was a man whom I had a great admiration for; and, seeing that he was generally near me, I had a good many opportunities of discovering his worth. I know that he was devoted to me.
To return to the main battle. For a week or more the fighting continued without advantage to either side, at least, neither the Bornians nor ourselves were able to say that we had definitely advanced our lines. There could be no doubt, however, that our artillery did much damage, although not sufficient to allow us to assault their positions.
It was necessary that we should break through their line somewhere, but the difficult question was where and how to do it.
We had smashed their right flank by stratagem; we had split our force in two to do this. We would now do the same thing on our right, that is to say we would give up the bridge of Atar.
I had explained thus far to the generals, when General von Scutane said: