¶ Past cities, towns, vineyards, châteaux, the tramp, tramp, tramp; the roll of the war drums; the rumbling of wheels--so the terrible Prussians marched on! ¶ "Summer was passing," says Lowe, "Autumn was coming fast; France had turned from the sap green of the vineyards to the golden hues of the harvest; but it was the harvest of Death." * * * * * ¶ Now came a gigantic cavalry movement, to the right, a prodigious wheel, to round-up the French MacMahon, who had dodged and doubled in the basin of the Meuse. "The chase," said Bismarck, "reminds me of a wolf hunt in the Ardennes, but when we arrived, the wolf had vanished!" To make common ground with Bazaine, MacMahon concentrated his troops, with the idea of breaking the siege of Metz, where 175,000 French soldiers were undergoing the horrors of starvation. The Germans outwitted MacMahon, who finally decided to make a last stand around the frontier fortress of Sedan. ¶ On the night of August 31, the Germans closed in on him, in what proved to be one of the momentous battles in the world's history. Von Roon and Moltke had 121,000 infantry and 618 cannon, the French 70,000 of all arms, 320 cannon and 70 Mitrailleuses. On the slopes of Frenois, the Prussian King, Bismarck and a brilliant retinue witnessed for ten hours the dreadful carnage reddening the fields. ¶ "More artillery!" cried the King, surprised that the French would not yield. In the King's retinue stood Bismarck, a crowd of princes, dukes, aide-de-camps, marshals, besides army attaches of Russia, England and America. ¶ On the King's order, 600 German guns began drawing the most terrific artillery fire in the history of battles, concentrating an ever-narrowing circle of flame and shell around the doomed place. It was too much for flesh and blood; a white flag was hoisted. The Prussian flag of truce to inquire for the commander, was led into the presence of Napoleon, trapped at Sedan! ¶ Moltke's terms were short; the whole French army was to surrender as prisoners of war. The French regarded this as too severe after their heroism, but the Prussians were inexorable; an armistice left the final decision till daylight. * * * * * ¶ Bismarck passed the night at the house of Dr. Jeanpot, at Donchery, a few miles from the bloody field of Sedan. Along about daybreak, a servant awakened Bismarck, telling him a French general was at the door. It was Reille, Napoleon's messenger, saying "Napoleon is on the way over to see the King of Prussia!" ¶ What a moment! How Bismarck's pride must have risen; how he must have gritted his wolf's teeth and felt his gorge rise as he realized that the hour of his life-long revenge was at hand, against his old enemy. ¶ And yet, that night, he had been reading in his room after the dreadful Sedan carnage--what do you think? Human inconsistency! "Daily Refreshment for Believing Christians," by the Moravian brotherhood.