The Hesse and Gotha and Dessau men would all prefer fighting on the Prussian side, but when they were called out they had to obey.
"At what time will you start ?" "I should like to get to Erfurt as soon as the place is astir." "That is by five," the man said.

"There is trumpeting and drumming enough by that time, and no one could sleep longer if they wanted to." "Then we will start at dawn." The peasant would have given up his bed to Fergus, but the latter would not hear of it, and said that he was quite accustomed to sleeping on the ground; whereupon the peasant went out, and returned with a large armful of rushes; which, as he told Fergus, he had cut only the day before to mend a hole in the thatch.

Fergus was well content, for he knew well enough that he should sleep very much better, on fresh rushes, than he should in the peasant's bed place, where he would probably be assailed by an army of fleas.
As soon as the man and his wife were astir in the morning, Fergus got up; bathed his head and face in a tiny streamlet, that ran within a few yards of the house; then, after cutting a hunch of bread to eat on their way, the two started.
They did not come down upon the main road until within a mile and a half of the town, and they then passed through a large village, where a troop of French cavalry were engaged in grooming their horses.

They attracted no attention whatever, and entered Erfurt at a quarter-past five.

They separated when they got into the town, agreeing to meet in front of the cathedral, at eleven o'clock.
Fergus went to an eating house, where he saw a party of French non-commissioned officers and soldiers seated.