To his astonishment, he found it full of Austrian officers, who could easily have carried him off, his infantry being still beyond the village.

They had but a small force remaining there and, believing that the Prussians had halted for the night at Saara, they were as much astonished as Frederick at his entrance.

The king had the presence of mind to hide his surprise.
"Good evening, gentlemen!" he said.

"Is there still room left for me, do you think ?" The Austrian officers, supposing, of course, that he had a large force outside, bowed deeply, escorted him to the best room in the house, and then slipped out at the back, collected what troops they could as they went, and hurried across the bridge.

The Prussians were not long in entering, and very speedily cleared out the rest of the Austrians.