"Shall we take Hans?" asked Helen. "No, it must not be known where you are. If we bring back Karl wounded, a room must be ready for him, and a surgeon ready. Also, his arrival would cause agitation to your sister, scarcely well again, or to your grandmother, whose age must be taken into consideration." "What time shall we get back?" "I don't know, but we may be expected at four in the morning. You hear, Hans? And if they fear for your young mistress--" "You will answer," said Lenhart, "that they may be easy, because Benedict Turpin is with her." "You hear, dear Helen. I am ready when you are." "Let us go," she said, "and not lose a minute. My God! when I think that he may be there, perhaps lying on the earth under some tree or bush, bleeding from two or three wounds, and calling on me with his dying voice for help!" and in high agitation she went on: "I am coming, dear Karl, I am coming!" Lenhart whipped up his horses, and the carriage went off as quickly as the wind and as noisily as thunder. CHAPTER XXV FRISK In less than an hour and a half they were in sight of Dettingen, which was the more easy to see because it appeared from afar as the centre of a vast fire. As they drew nearer, Benedict said that the light came from the camp fires. After the victory, the Prussians had pressed their outposts beyond the little town. Helen feared that they would not be allowed to continue their journey, but Benedict reassured her. The pity shown to the wounded, and the respect for the dead in all civilized countries, when once the battle is over, left him no doubt that Helen would be allowed to seek for her _fiancé_, dead or living, and that he would be allowed to aid her. In fact, the carriage was stopped at the outposts, and the chiefs of the watch could not take it upon themselves to let them pass, but said they must refer to General Sturm, who commanded the outposts. General Sturm had his quarters in the little village of Horstein, rather further on than Dettingen. Benedict was told where the house was, and went off at a gallop to make up for lost time. When he reached the house indicated, he found that General Sturm was away and that he would have to speak to the major. He went in, and an impatient voice called out, "wait a minute." Benedict had heard that voice before. "Frederic!" he cried. It was Baron Frederic von Bülow, whom the King of Prussia had made Staff-major to General Sturm. This rank was an advancement from brigade-general. Benedict explained that he was searching for Karl, who was dead or wounded on the field. Frederic would have liked to go with him, but he had work that must be done. He gave Benedict a permit to search the battlefield, and to take with him two Prussian soldiers as guards, and a surgeon. Benedict promised to send back the surgeon with news of the expedition, and went out to the carriage where Helen was waiting impatiently. "Well?" asked she.