The Emperor Napoleon was reconnoitering, in the dead of night, the ground on which he was to gain a battle over the Prussians on the morrow, as he had recently gained a battle over the Austrians.
Austria had had her Austerlitz; Prussia was to have her Auerstadt and Jena.
Napoleon had fixed his plan; to-morrow was the day when he would take revenge on the King of Prussia for the treaty of Potsdam and the alliance with Russia.
Arriving at the foot of the hill of Jena, the emperor stopped and alighted, in order to ascend it on foot. When he reached the summit, he stood for a long while absorbed in his reflections. The two torch-bearers were at his side; the two marshals stood a little behind them. The emperor’s eyes were fixed on the mountains, especially on the Dornberg which he had previously passed.
The mountain lay dark and silent before him—a lonely, sleeping giant.
The emperor raised his arm and pointed at the Dornberg. “The Prussians have left the heights,” he said, turning slowly to Marshal Lannes; “they were probably afraid of the cold night-air, and have descended into the valley to sleep. They believe we shall not take advantage of their slumber. But they will be dreadfully mistaken, those old wigs! [Napoleon said: “Ils se tromperent formidablement ces vieux perruques.”] As soon as the fog has descended a little post your sharpshooters on the heights of the Dornberg, that they may bid the Prussians good-morning when they want to march up again!”
He turned his eyes again to the gorge; suddenly his eyes flashed fire and seemed to pierce the darkness.
“What is going on in the gorge below?” he asked, hastily.
The torch-bearers lowered their torches; the emperor and the marshals looked anxiously at a long black line moving forward in the middle of the gorge, illuminated here and there by a yellow pale light which seemed to burn in large lanterns.
Napoleon turned with an angry glance to Marshal Lannes. His face was pale—his right shoulder was quivering, a symptom that he was highly incensed. “It is the artillery of your corps,” he said. “It has stuck in the gorge! If we cannot get it off, we shall lose tomorrow’s battle! Come!”