But Ulrich nodded, having hurried until he was quite breathless.
"Ja, ja, father," he panted, "the whole Prussian army is annihilated! They fought at Auerstädt at exactly the same time the battle took place at Jena."
"Ach Himmel, Ulrich, I cannot believe it!" cried the farmer, his face red with excitement.
"Ja wohl, father," Ulrich insisted. "Davoust led the French, the King of Prussia the Germans. They fought all day and neither the King nor the Emperor heard the cannons of the other."
"There has never been such a thing in the history of the world, Ulrich. Two battles at once, here in Thuringia. Impossible!"
But Ulrich knew what he was talking about.
"Ja wohl, father," he said, "I heard it in Jena. All the generals are dead or wounded. The King is no one knows where. Horses were twice shot from under him, and they say he fought like a hero. Napoleon's soldiers are ordered to capture the Queen, and Davoust is pursuing towards Erfurt. Down in Jena they say Napoleon will march at once on Berlin."
Frau Schmelze's voice came from between the bed curtains.
"War is terrible," she said. "Ach Gott, but it is awful!"
"Ja wohl, mother," agreed Ulrich. "All is lost, everything, and Napoleon is our master!" Then he told how the sky was red toward Weimar and how he had heard the Duchess had refused to fly and had taken scores of people into the castle.