The young officers had heard nothing of the news which had been learned over night at headquarters, they were as merry as could be, and indulged in much raillery over old Peter’s lectures to his master.  But the old man said little in answer to their banter this morning; his master was long in returning, and Stadinger had reached the age when he borrowed trouble, and it rested heavily upon him.  Finally Walldorf got out of all patience with him and said: 

“I believe, Stadinger, you’d like to strap the prince on your back and take him off to Rodeck with you.  The camp is no place for anxiety or alarm, remember that.”

“Then the prince had to reconnoitre to-day,” added Eugen.  “He has to make a detour from Chapel mountain to the valley beneath and through the ravine, in order to see what the outlook is.  We’ll probably have a pleasant exchange of civilities with the French gentlemen within the next few days, and we want to be ready for them at all points.”

“But there’s plenty of chances for them to shoot now, isn’t there?” asked the old man with such anxiety that the officers had to laugh aloud.

“Yes, there’s chances enough to shoot,” Walldorf asserted.  “You seem to be afraid of a gun.  You’re safe from any stray shots here!”

“I?” the old man straightened himself; he was deeply insulted.  “I wish to God I could be in the midst of it all.”

“Yes, you’d stay by the prince, and when you saw a bullet coming you’d give his coat a pull and say:  ’Be careful, your highness, here comes a bullet.’  That would be great fun.”

“Herr Lieutenant,” said the old man so earnestly that their merriment was silenced, “you should not talk so to an old hunter, who has climbed time and again to the mountain’s summit, and shot, and killed too, where he had scarcely room to plant his foot.  It is only here that I am so anxious and discouraged—­I would the day were well over.”

“We were only in fun,” said Eugen good naturedly.  “Of course you’re not afraid of a shot, one only has to look at you to know that.  But don’t come to us with your presentiments and misgivings; after men have stood under a shower of bullets they don’t heed croakings.  When we’re all home again I am going to visit my sister at Ostwalden and we’ll be good neighbors, you and I. The prince is very fond of his hunting castle at Rodeck, is he not?  But you can banish your gloomy thoughts, for here he comes.”

There was a quick step without on the stair; the old man gave a relieved sigh, but when the door opened it was only Eugen’s man who appeared.

“Isn’t his highness coming?” asked Walldorf; but Stadinger gave the man no time to answer.  He had glanced at his face, only a glance, then he started forward and seized his hand half-frantically.

“What is it?  Where—­where is my master?”

The man shook his head sadly and pointed to the window; the two officers hastened to it, but Stadinger lost no time in looking; he rushed out of the door and down the steps and across the little yard, and sank down with a piercing cry beside a litter which two soldiers were carrying, and upon which a tall, youthful form was stretched.