“It is passed! The battle is ended!”
At this moment the adjutant of the king left the tent, and approached the generals, who stood near the prince.
“His majesty commands you to see that the soldiers of the third army corps are kept, as far as it is possible, entirely separated from the rest of the army. You will immediately convey the order to the king’s army, that all intercourse between them and the third army corps is forbidden, as this corps seems to have lost all courage and all honorable feeling.”
[Footnote: Kustrin, “Characteristics from the Life of Frederick the Great”]
“The king’s commands shall be obeyed,” said the generals, coldly.
The prince was completely overcome by this last blow, and leaned for a moment upon the arm of the Duke of Wurtemberg; he soon recovered himself, and turning to General Schultz, he said:
“Go and bring me, from the king, the watchword of the third army corps.”
General Schultz withdrew, but returned quickly from the king’s tent, with a dark frown upon his face.
“Well,” said the prince, “have you the watchword?”
“No, your royal highness! The king says, that for cowards and fugitives he has no watchword, and he commanded me to go to the devil.”