In great uneasiness about the thaw, I had the
ice sounded night and morning. While, wrapped
in my cloak, I was trying to get the sleep that
had avoided me for four nights, Marion, Colonel
of Engineers, came to me at dawn, and said :

' I congratulate you, Monsieur le Marechal,
you have at last received news of General
Yorck.'

' No,' I replied quickly.
' I fancied you had ; for as, in accordance with
your orders, I was testing the ice, I saw all the
Prussians rapidly recrossing the Niemen. I
thought you had sent them to meet the rear-
guard. General Massenbach, as he passed by
me, gave me these two letters for you.'

' Heavens !' I exclaimed ; ' we are betrayed-*-
perhaps given up; but we will sell our lives
dearly.'

I hastily glanced at the letters, caused the
assembly to be sounded immediately, gathered
our faithful Poles, Bavarians, and Westphalians
at the back of the town, and commenced a forced
march in order to gain the Forest of Bomwald, a
sort of defile. I harangued the troops, not con-
cealing our difficulties, and promised them . a



1813] DEFECTION OF THE PRUSSIANS 33

month's extra pay if, as I trusted we should, we
succeeded in reaching Dantzic in safety.
