In about ten minutes they reached the ruins of an old chateau; those ruins crowned the summit of a hill which overlooked the surrounding country. At a distance of hardly a quarter of a league they looked down on Lens, at bay, and before Lens the enemy’s entire army.

With a single glance the prince took in the extent of country that lay before him, from Lens as far as Vimy. In a moment the plan of the battle which on the following day was to save France the second time from invasion was unrolled in his mind. He took a pencil, tore a page from his tablets and wrote:

“My Dear Marshal, — In an hour Lens will be in the enemy’s possession. Come and rejoin me; bring with you the whole army.

I shall be at Vendin to place it in position. To-morrow we shall retake Lens and beat the enemy.”