They breathed more freely
when they heard that the king, adopting a new expedient, advanced a
part of his cavalry into the centre of his weakened infantry, and
thus turned the tide of battle. Their courage failed on hearing that
this advantage was soon lost, the enemy still advanced in unbroken
columns, and almost forced the Prussians to retreat. The left wing
of infantry, commanded by the Duke of Severn, which had fired
unceasingly, had exhausted their ammunition, while the Austrian
General Wied, who defended the post of Losovitz, kept up a brisk
cannonading. The Prussian warriors pleaded loudly for powder and
shot.
Anna stopped reading, her heart beat loudly, she leaned her head
against the tree and closed her eyes in terror. The old people
sitting at her feet prayed and wept aloud, and from the crowd there
arose sounds of grief and despair. In their terror they had
forgotten that it was of a victory and not a defeat they were to
hear, and that the battle must at last have ended to their
advantage.
"Read on, Anna," said the old shepherd, after a long pause. "Are we
such cowards as not to be able even to hear an account of this
murderous battle in which our sons were brave enough to fight?"
"Read on, read on!" was heard here and there.
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