About nightfall he marches for Sommerfeld, at his swiftest; arrives Wednesday early; finds--alas!-- "SOMMERFELD, WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 1st, Friedrich finds that Loudon was there last night,--preterite tense, alas; the question now being, Where is he!" In fact, Loudon had written yesterday to Daun (Letter still extant, "Sommerfeld, July 31st"), That "being swift and light," consisting of horse for most part, "he may probably effect Junction this very night;"-- but has altered his mind very much, on sight of these fugitives from Naumburg, since! And has borne off more to leftward.
Straight north now, and at a very brisk pace; being now all of horse;--and has an important conference with Haddick at Guben, when they arrive there.

"Not in Sommerfeld ?" thinks Friedrich (earnestly surveying, through this slit he has made in the Pandour veil): "Gone to Guben most likely, bearing off from us to leftward ?"--Which was the fact; though not the whole fact.

And indeed the chase is now again fallen uncertain, and there has to be some beating of covers.

For one thing, he learns to-day (August 1st) that the Russians are gone to Frankfurt: "Follow them, you Wedell,"-- orders Friedrich: them we shall have to go into,--however this hunt end!-- "To Markersdorf, Thursday, August 2d.

Friedrich takes the road for Guben; reaches Markersdorf (twenty miles' march, still seven or eight from Guben); falls upon--What phenomenon is this?
The Austrian heavy Train; meal-wagons not a few, and a regiment of foot in charge of it;--but going the wrong way, not TOWARDS the Russians, but from them! What on earth can this be?
This is Haddick,--if Friedrich could yet clearly know it,--Haddick and Train, who for his own part has given up the junction enterprise.