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15 - With Frederick The Great - A Story of the Seven Years' War by G A Henty · With Frederick The Great: A Story of the Seven Years' War

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Gary Alman, Chapter fourteen, Breaking Prison. He seems to be
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: a pleasant fellow, Fergus said, and disposed to do his
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: best to make us comfortable. So we don't see any
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: chance of getting away. We shall be able to get
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: through the winter very fairly. You don't think there is
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: any chance of escape? Surely, Major Pray drop the Major
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Captain Stauphin, and let us call each other by our
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: names while we are here. The discipline of the Brush
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: and Mummy is admirable, and must, as a rule be
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: the most stringent maintained by all sorts of forms and observances.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: But here by our three selves confined in this casemate,
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: for no one can say how long. It is ridiculous
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: that we should be always stiff and ceremonious. You are
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: both some years older than i am. I have had
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: the good fortune to have better opportunities than you have had,
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: and have been promoted accordingly. But while here, let us
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: try and forget all about that, and make things as
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: pleasant all around as possible. The two officers agreed, but
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: not without grave doubts, for to them it was quite
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: a serious manner to relax, even in a prison. The
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: stringent rules that guided the relation of officers to each
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: other in the Prussian Army. It is a strong place,
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Fergus went on, But I don't know that it is
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: as difficult to break out of as the last place
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: I was in. Have you been a prisoner before? The
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: two officers asked together. We both belonged to a regiment
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: that was not with Frederick at Lobositz, and had indeed
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: only recently come down from Berlin. Yes, I was taken
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: at Lobositz and marched to Spielberg and managed to get
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: away from there. It is a long story, and will
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: do to pass away the evening when we have got
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: the fire, and consider comfortably and talk round it. My
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: cell There was so high in the castle that with
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: the wall and the rock below, there was a fall
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: of a hum hundred and fifty feet at least, so
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: that the difficulties of escape were a good deal greater
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: than they are here, or perhaps I should say seemed
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: to be a good deal greater, for I don't know
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: that they were. There is the tramp of a century outside.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: I suppose he walks up and down the whole length
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  Speaker 1: of the six casemates. I counted them as we came in.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: We are at one end, which of course is an advantage.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: Why so one of the others asked, with a pesztle
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: expression of face, Well, you see, the century only passes
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: us once to every twice he passes the casement in
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  Speaker 1: the middle, and has his back to us twice as
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: long at a time. I should not have thought of
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: that stuff, and said, yes, I can see that if
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: we were escaping through this door, which seems to me impossible,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: that it would be an advantage. And he glanced at
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: his companion as if to say that there was more
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: in this fortunate young officer than they had thought. Among
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: the officers who had served throughout with Frederick, the manner
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: in which Fergus had gained his promotion was well known.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: His rescue of Count Eulen First and his family were
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: the general subject of talk at Dresden, and even putting
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: aside the gallantry of the action, it was considered that
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: the army in general was indebted to him for having
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: saved them from the disgrace that would have attached to
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: them had this murderous outrage been carried out successfully. The
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: manner in which he had saved half the Prussian cavalry
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: from destruction by his charge through the Austrian squadron had
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: similarly been talked over in every regiment engaged in lobocyts.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Those who had been at Zorndorf were cognizant of the
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: fact that he had gained his majority by saving the
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: king's life, as this had been mentioned in general orders
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: of the day. The regiment, however, to which the two
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: warveses belonged, had come down from Berlin but six months
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: before and had formed a part of the command of
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Prince Maurice until Frederick had returned from Zorndorf and had,
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: with a portion of the force of Prince Maurice, marched
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: out to compel Dawn to abandon his impregnable position at Stopin.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: They had not particularly observed Fergus on their journey south,
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: and when during the last two or three days in
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: the March they had noticed him, they had regarded him
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: as some fortunate young fellow who had, by royal favor,
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: received extraordinary promotion and had been pushed up over the
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: heads of oldermen simply from favoritism. Thus their manner towards
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: him had been even more stiff and ceremonious than usual.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: Do you think, then, Stoffin, said that there is any
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: chance of our making our escape. Oh, I have not
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: had time to think about it yet, laughed. There is
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: generally a way if one can but find it out.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: But I have no doubt that it will take a
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: good deal of thinking before we hit upon it, And
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: if it does nothing else for us, it will be
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: an amusement through the long evenings to have to puzzle
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: it out. There is no hurry, for it is not
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: likely that there will be any more fighting before the
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: army goes into winter quarters, and so that we are
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: there when the campaign opens in a spring, it will
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: be soon enough. The door opened down. Two soldiers brought
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: in a stove. It was placed nearly in the center
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  Speaker 1: of the room. The flu went up to the top
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: of the arch and then turned at right angles and
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: passed out of the casement through a hole just over
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: the window. After lighting the stove, they brought in two
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: bundles of rushes and spread them over the floor, and
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: then carried in a tray with dinner and placed it
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: on the little table. There were three stools standing by
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: the side of the three barrack beds, each placed in
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: the corner of the room. These they carried to the table.
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: The others waited to sea upon which side Fergus placed his.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: He put it down on one side. Excuse me, majorstov
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: And said, changing it, putting him facing the fire and
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: placing his own on one side while his companion was
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: opposite him. Then they stood stiffly waiting until Fergus, with
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  Speaker 1: a shrug of his shoulder, took his place. The dinner
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: consisted of a thin soup, followed by the meat of
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: which it had been made, stowed up and served with
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: a good gravy, and two shorts of vegetables. The bread
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: was white and good. A bottle of rough country wine
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: was placed by the side of each. The commetant feeds
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: us better here than I was fed at Spielsburg, Fergus said, cheerfully.
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: If I got brought there, I did not get meat.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: If I had meat, I had no broth, and they
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: only gave me half a bottle of wine. The combinant
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: evidently does as he says, and makes the money he
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: gets for our keep go far. Let us drink his
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: health and a better employment to him. He evidently feels
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: being kept here instead of being with the army in
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: the field. In fact, he is just as much a
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: prisoner as we are, without even the satisfaction of being
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: able to talk over plans for escape. Ah. I see
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: he has sent a box of cigars too. I finished
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: my last as we wrote here today, and was wondering
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: when I should be able to get some more, also
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: tobacco for my pipe. I hope you both smoke stuffing,
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: and his companion, whose name was rit, said, both did so.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: I am glad of that. Fergus said, I think it
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: is very cheery and sociable whence everyone smokes, But certainly
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: when only two out of three do, it looks somehow
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: as if the one who does not is left out
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  Speaker 1: in the cold. I never smoked until I came here
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: two years and a half ago. But there is no
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: doubt that at the end end of a day's hard work,
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: or when you have got to do a long ride
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: in the dark, it is very comforting. His efforts to
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: keep the conversation going were not very successful. The two
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: officers were evidently determined to maintain a distinction of rank,
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: and saying to himself that they would probably soon get
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: tired of it, he ceased to attempt to break down
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: the barrier. They insisted upon keeping up after dinner was over,
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: they lighted their cigars and then went out minded the
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: steps from the yard to the ramparts. They were soon
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: joined by the officers from the other casemates, and, separating
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  Speaker 1: into groups, strolled up and down, making remarks on the
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  Speaker 1: country round and the town behind them. Fergus had at
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: once left his fellow prisoners and joined two or three
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: others with whom he had been previously acquainted, one being
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  Speaker 1: a captain of the third Royal Dragoons. You are with
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  Speaker 1: Staffen and Ritzer, are you not? Major? The latter said,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: I have a brother in the same regiment and so
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  Speaker 1: know them. How do you get on with them? At present?
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: They are rather stiff and distant, and insist upon treating
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  Speaker 1: me as the senior officer, which is absurd when we
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  Speaker 1: are prisoners, and they are both some fifteen years older
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  Speaker 1: than I am. I detest that sort of thing. Of course,
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: in a great garrison town like Berlin or Dresden, the
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: strict rules of discipline must be observed. I think they
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: are carried altogether too far. But as it is the
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: custom of the service, there is nothing to be said
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  Speaker 1: about it. But here, as we are all fellows in misfortune.
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  Speaker 1: It seems to me simply ridiculous. It becomes a second
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: nature after a time, the officer said, the two with
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: me are both lieutenants, and I should feel a little
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: surprised if they did not pay me the usual respect. Yes,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: but then you are the old man who would naturally
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: take the lead in any case. To me, I can
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: assure you it is most disagreeable to have men much
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  Speaker 1: older than myself insisting upon treating me as their superior officer,
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: especially as their regiment having only recently joined us. I
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: suppose they set me down as some young favorite or
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: other who has got his promotion over the heads of
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: deserving officers because he is related to someone in power.
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  Speaker 1: They ought to know that there is not much promotion
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  Speaker 1: to be gained in that way in our army. Major,
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  Speaker 1: the King is the last man who would promote anyone
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  Speaker 1: for that cause. While Schwemwin's son has served for four
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: years and is still a coronet in our regiment, no
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: doubt the King would be glad to promote him if
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: he specially distinguished himself, But as he has had no
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: opportunity of doing so, he will probably work his way
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: up in the regiment as everyone else does. Two or
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: three officers came up and joined the party, and presently
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: Captain Ronsfeldt strolled away and joined another group. It was
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: not long before he engaged Stuffin and Ritzer in conversation.
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: You have Major Drummond in with you, have you not? Yes?
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: Stuffin said shortly, Who is the young fellow? Do you
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: know him? Yes? He first joined our regiment as junior Cornett.
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: It was less than two years and a half ago.
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: I was senior lieutenant at the time, and now I
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: am pretty well up on the list of captains thanks
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: to the work we have done and the vacancies that
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: death has made. And that boy has gone over your
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: head and is now walking about as a major with
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: the order on his breast. It is enough to make
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: one sick of soldiering who is he related to? He
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: is related to? Marshall Keith. Ronsfeldt said, quietly, Ah, that
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: explains it. I don't think you quite understand the case.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: Stuffin certainly, you know if you think that there has
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: been any favoritism, I don't think anyone ever heard of
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: Frederick promoting a man out of his turn save for merit.
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: And I suppose there is no one in the army,
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: who has won his rank more worthily, and who is
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: more generally recognized as deserving it. I have never heard
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: a single word raised against the honors he has received.
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: When he rides through the camp, men nudge each other
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: and say that young fellow in staff uniform is Major Drummond,
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: and there is not a soldier but tries to put
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: a little extra respect into his salute. Are you joking, Rothsvelt,
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: Riza asked an astonishment. He was, nevertheless so, Ritzer, and
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: he then gave them an account of the manner which
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: Fergus had obtained his promotion. The two officers were silent
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: when Runsfeldt concluded, we have made fools of ourselves stuff
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: and said, at last, and we must apologize Ritzer, certainly
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: we must. The other grieved heartily. It seems to us
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: that his trying to make us put aside their respect
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: due to his rank was a sort of affection, and
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: really impressed it more disagreeably upon us. We took him
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: from an outstart favorite, though we might have known, had
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: we thought of it, that the King never promotes unduly.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Who could possibly have believed that a young fella not
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: yet twenty, I should say could have so distinguished himself.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: It will be a lesson to us both not to
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: judge by appearances. The day was cold and cheerless, and
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: after an hour spent on the ramparts, most of the
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: party was glad to return to the casemates. Fergus was
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: one of the last to go back to his discuss.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: The two officers rose and saluted formally as he came in.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: We wish Captain staff and said to express to you
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: our deep regret at the unworthy way in which we
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: received your request this morning to lay aside the distinction
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: of rank while we are prisoned as here. We were
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: both under an error, our regiments having only joined from
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: Berlin a short time before the King watched with us
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: to Hotchkirch. We were altogether ignorant of the matter in
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: which you would gained your rank, and I thought that
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: it was the result of favoritism. We now know your
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: highly distinguished services and how worthily you have gained each step,
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: and we both sincerely hope that you will overlook our
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: borish conduct and will endeavor to forget the manner in
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: which we received your kindly advances. Say no more about it, gentlemen,
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: Fergus replied, hartly, I have had luck and availed myself
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: of it, as as surely you would have done had
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: the same opportunities occurred to you. I can quite understand
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: that it seemed to you monstrous that at my age
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: I should be your senior officer. I feel it myself.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: I am often inclined to regret that I should thus
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: have been unduly pushed up. However, let us say no
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: where about it. I do hope that we shall be
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: as three good comrades together, and that within this casemate,
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: at any rate, there will be no question whatever rank,
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: and that you will call me Drummond, as I shall
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: call you both by your names. Now, let us shake
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: hands over the bargain. Let us draw stools around the
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: stove and have a comfortable talk. I have been speaking
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: to Major Lieberkun about ordering thing. He tells me that
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: the commandant says that one list must be made on
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: this The orders of each of the casemates must be
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: put down separately. The sergeant will go out every day
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: with it. Money must be given him to cover the
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: full extent of the orders. He will return the change
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: each day when he hands the articles required. I have
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: ordered some tobacco, some better cigars than these, and three
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: bottles of good Hungarian wine. The sergeant is going in
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: half an hour, so we shall be able to enjoy
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: our chain this evening. I always take the precaution of
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: carrying twenty golden Fredericks sewn up in the lining of
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: my tunic. It comes in very useful in case of
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: an emergency of this kind. I am afraid that need
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: of us has imitated your forethought. Ritz has said, would
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: have laughed. I have only my last month's pay in
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: my pocket, and Stauffen is no better off. Ah well,
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: with thirty pounds among us, we shall do very well.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Fergus said, we must be careful, because if we do
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: make our escape, we shall want money to get disguises.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: You are not really in ernest, Drummond, Staufen said, in
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: what you say about escaping, I am quite in earnest
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: about getting away if I see a chance, though I
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: admit that at present the matter seems a little difficult.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: Perhaps if you will tell us about your escape from Spielberg,
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: we shall be able to get a hint from it.
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: They now drew up their seats around the stove, and
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: Fergus told them detailed the manner of his escape, omitting
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: only the name of the nobleman of Vienna who had
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: assisted him. It was excellently done, ritz, it said warmly.
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: You're making off in that Austrian uniform at the moment
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: such a thing could be done. Was certainly a masterly stroke.
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: So was the taking of the post horses stuff And agreed,
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: and you're getting a disguise from the postmaster. I should
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: like to have seen the Austrian's look of surprise when
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: he got his uniform back again. I'm afraid that your
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: adventures do not afford us any hint from getting away
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: from here. Even you will admit that three Austrian uniforms
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: cannot be secured, and the tale by which you procured
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: the post officers will hardly hold good in a case
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: of three. No, if we get away at all, it
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: must be done in an entirely different manner. The place
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: is not so difficult to get out of as Speedwood was.
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: For with patients. We could certainly manage to cut off
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: the river heads of the bars. But I don't see
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: at present how we could cross this wide moat with
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: a sentry pacing up and down thirty feet above us,
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: nor climb up the brick wall on the other side
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: without making a noise. That done. Of course, we could
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: on a dark night cross the glaciers and swim the
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: outer boat. All that accomplished. The question of disguises will
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: come in just at present it is not very easy
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: to see how that is to be managed. Can you swim?
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: If both offices replied in the affirmative, well, that is
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: something gained. As to the rest, we need not bother
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: about it. At present we are not uncomfortable where we are,
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: and if we get back in time for the next campaign,
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: that is all that really matters. The others laughed at
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: the confident tone of which he spoke, but after hearing
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: the details of the prior attempt, it seemed to them
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: that their companion was capable of accomplishing what almost seemed
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: to be the impossibilities they had. They know very slight
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: chance of being exchanged so long as the war lasted.
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: A few general officers or others whose family possessed great
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: influence were occasionally exchanged, but it was evident the policy
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: of Austria to retain all prisoners. In the first place.
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: She desired to reduce Frederick's fighting force, and in the
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: second the number of Austrians taken had been very much
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: larger than that of the Prussians captured, and the supporters
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: of fifteen or twenty thousand prisoners of war added to
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: the drain on Frederick's resources. Three campaigns had passed without
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: materially altering the position of the combatants, and as many
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: more might elapse before the war came to an end. Indeed,
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: there was no saying how long it might last, and
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: the prospect was so unpleasant that the two officers were
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: inclined to run a very considerable risk in attempting to
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: obtain freedom. A week later, the snow began to fall
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: heavily and the moat froze. There is no getting across
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: that without being seen, even on the darkest night, Fergus said,
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: as he walked up and down the rampart with his
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: two companions. Unless the century was sound asleep, and in
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: such weather as this, that is the last thing likely
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: to happen. Unless something altogether unexpected occurs, we shall have
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: to postpone action till spring comes. Now that we have
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: brought some books, we can pass the time away comfortably.
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: It was a happy thought of major librecon that each
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: of us should buy one book, so that altogether we
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: have got some forty between us, which, taking our reading quietly,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: will last us for a couple of months. They mayn't
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: be all equally interesting, but as the sergeant brought them
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: second hand, at about half a franc of item, we
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: could lay in another stock without hurting ourselves whenever we choose.
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: A few days later they brought several sets of drafts,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: chessmen and geminos, and a dozen packs of cards. They
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: had been arranged at a general meeting held in the
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: major's casemate. Strict rules have been laid down that there
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: should be no playing for money. Several of the prisoners
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: had had only a few marks in their pockets when captured.
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: They agreed to meet at three o'clock in two of
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: the casemates by tern as one would not hold the
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: whole number. This made a great break in their day.
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: It would have been better if the meeting had been
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: held in the evening, but the regulation that during the
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: winter months they were locked up at five prevented this
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: being adopted. So the cold weather pass not altogether unpleasantly.
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: The strict rule that every case in which the slightest
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: difference of opinion, Rose should at once be submitted to
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: the education of Major Librecon and the senior officer of
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: The casemate in which it occurred effectively prevented all disputes
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: and quarrels over the cards and other games, as their
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: good fellowship remained therefore unbroken. In March, the sun gained power,
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: the snow and ice began to melt, and Fergus again
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: began to think how an escape could be affected. I
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: can think of only one plan. One evening. It is
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: clear that it is altogether hopeless to think of getting
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: out by the doubs. But as we agreed, it would
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: be possible to chip off the heads of the rivets,
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: unbar the shutters, and let ourselves down into the moat.
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: If we were to make our way along at the
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: foot of the wall, the chance of our being seen
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: by the century above would be very slight, For of course,
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: we should choose a night when the wind was blowing
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: hard and the water ruffled. In that case, any splash
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: we would make, we might bake would not be heard.
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: Swimming along to the corner of this face of the fort,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: we would turn and keep alone until we reach the
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: spot where the cut runs to the river. Crossing the
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: moat to that would be the most dangerous part of
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: the business, and we ought if possible to dive across.
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: There is a low wall there and a chevalte frieze
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: on the top of it. We should have to get
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: out by the side of that, and then either swim
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: along the cut or crawl along the edge of it
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: till we get to the river. Then we must crawl
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: along under the shelter of its banks towards the town
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: till we get to a boat hauled up, or swim
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: to one moored a little way out in the stream.
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: Then we must row up the river for some distance
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: and land. And that all seems possible enough. Drum and
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: Captain Ritz has said, but what about our uniforms. We
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: must leave them behind and swim in our underclothes. I
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: should say we should take a couple of suits with us.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: We could make them up into bundles and carry them
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: on our heads while we swim. Of course, if we
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: take them, we shall not be able to dive, but
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: must swim across the moat to the cut, and trust
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: to the darkness for the centuries not seeing us. Then
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: once on board a boat. We could take off our
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: wet things and put the dry ones on it. But
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: we can hardly wander about the country in shirts and drawers,
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: drum and stuff, and suggested certainly not. My idea is
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: that as soon as we are a mile or two away,
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: we should either board some boat where we see a light,
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: and overpower the boatmen and take their clothes if they
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: will not sell them to us, or else land at
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: some quiet house, and rig ourselves out. There should be
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: no great difficulty about that. Once rigged out, we must
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: make south, for as soon as our escape is found
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: out the next morning Calvarry will scour the country in
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: every direction on this side of the river and give
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: notice of our escape in every town and village. After
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: lying up quiet for a time, we must journey at
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: least fifty miles west. We might make for Munich if
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: we like, or strike the Isar and Landshut and then
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: work up through Ratisbon and then through Fichtel Mountain to
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: Bayreuth and so into Saxony. Or from Landshut we can
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: cross Bauma wild mountains into Bohemia, or if we like,
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: from Munich we can keep west into Wurtenberg up through
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: hess Dharmistadt and Kassel into Hanover. Or lastly we can
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: go on to Mannheim and down the Rhine, and then
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: come round by sea to Hamburg. The others left. It
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: looks a tremendous business anyhow, Drummond, I should never think
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: of attempting it by myself. Ritz has said, But if
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: you assured me that you think it would be possible,
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: I am ready to try it. I think that there
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: is every chance of success. Ritzer, I really do not
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: see why it should fail. Of course, there is risk
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: in it, but once fairly on the other side of
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: the moat and on the river bank, it seems comparatively safe.
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: We can see that there are always a lot of
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: boats moored in the stream this side of the bridge,
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: and by taking a small boat we might put off
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: to the one of them and get our change of clothes,
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: and once bind and gag the crew there are not
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: likely to be above two or three of them, give
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: them a piece of gold to pay for the clothes,
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: and then row straight up the river and land a
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: mile or two away. That would make get plain sailing.
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: Of course, we should push the boat off when we landed,
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: and it would float down past the town before daylight.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: The chances are that the boatmen, finding that they are
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: no losers by the affair, would make no complaint to
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: the authorities. But even if they did, we should be
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: far beyond their reach by that time. All we have
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: got to do is to choose a really dark night
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: with wind and rain. The first job to be done
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: is to get the heads off these rivets. I have
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: examined them carefully. They are roughly done, and I don't
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: fancy that. The iron is very hard, and our knives will,
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: I think, make a comparatively short job of it. We
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: could not work at night. Riz had said the sentry
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: in front would hear the noise. I think of soaring
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: the heads off, Fergus said, with the help of a
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: little oil, I fancy the steel will cut through the iron.
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: Yesterday I tapped the edge of by knife against the
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: edge of the stone parapet. It is a good steel,
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: but very brittle, and I managed to make a pretty
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: fair sore of it. Tomorrow I will do yours if
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: you like. All carried classed knives for cutting their food
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: with when serving in the field. They had oil which
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: they had brought for dressing salads with and Fergus had
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: once attacked one of the rivets it cuts, He said,
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: after three or four minute work. Of course, it will
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: be a long job, but we ought to do it
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: in a week. There are three bars, and if we
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: cut the rivets at one end of each, I have
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: no doubt we shall be able to turn the bars
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: on the rivets at the other end. They relieved each
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: other at short intervals and worked the greater part of
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: the night. At the end of that time, the head
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: of one of the rivets, which cut almost through, we
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: will leave it as it is now, Fergus said. A
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: quarter of an hour's work will take it off as
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: it is. No one would notice what has been done
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: unless he inspected it closely. Greatly encouraged by their success,
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: the others now entered warmly into his plans. Using his
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: knife instead of a stone. He was able the next
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: day to convert their knives into much better sores than
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: his own had been, and the other two rivets were
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: cut in a much shorter time than the first. They
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: waited another week, and then the wind began to rise,
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: and by evening half a gale was blowing and the
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: rain falling heavily. There was no moon, and the night
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: would be admirably suited for their purpose. Their supper was
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: bought in at six o'clock. Knowing that they would not
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: be visited again until morning, they at once began work.
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: As soon as they had finished cutting one rivet. They
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: tried the bar, and the united strength was quite sufficient
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: to bend it far enough to allow it being withdrawn
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: from the rivet. Then, throwing their weight upon it, it
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: turned upon the bolt at the other end until it
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: hung perpendicular. In another half an hour, the other two
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: bars were similarly removed and the heavy shutters opened. They
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: were closed again until their preparations were complete. First they
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: ate their supper, then sat and talked until nine. Then
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: they knotted their sheets together and tied the underclothes into bundles.
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: The Austrian government will be no losers, Fergus laughed. They
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: will get three pressure uniforms instead of six suits of
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: prison underclosing. Now shall I go first or will one
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: of you? We will go according to rank RITTI laughed
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: very well. Now, mine, gentlemen, whatever you do, take the
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: water quietly. I will wait until you are both down.
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: Then we will follow each other closely so that we
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: can help one another if necessary. I can hardly see
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: the water from here, and the century, being twice as
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: far off from it as we are, will see it less. Besides,
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: I think it likely that they will be standing in
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: their sentry boxes in such a rain as this, and
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: I feel confident that we shall get across without being seen.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: The river's high, and the opposite wall of the moat
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: is only a foot above water, so we shall have
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: no difficulty in getting out on the other side. I
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: have the money sown in a small bag round my neck.
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: We may as well take our knives with us. They
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: will help us to tackle the boatman. I think that
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: is everything. Now we will be off, fastening the sheet
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: firmly to one of the bars, He swung himself out,
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: slid down the rope quietly and noiselessly, and entered the water,
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: which was so cold and almost took his breath away.
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: He swam a stroke or two along the wall and
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: waited until joined by both his comrades. Their casemate being
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: the end one, they had but some ten or twenty
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: yards to swim to the angle of the wall. Another
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: fifty took them to a point facing the cut. Fergus
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: had pasted out on the ramp and above, and calculated
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: that each stroke would take them a yard. It was
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: too dark to see more than the dim line of
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: the wall on the other side. He waited until the
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: others joined him. Are you all right, he asked in
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: a low voice. Yes, but this cold is frightful. We
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: shall soon be out of it, he said. Wait till
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: I have gone a few yards, then follow one after
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: the other. The surface of the moat was so ruffled
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: by the wind that Fergus had little fear of being seen,
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: even if the sentry above was out and watching. But
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: he felt sure that he would be in his sentry box,
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: and so swam boldly across. He at once climbed onto
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: the lower wall helped his two companions out. They were
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: completely numbed by the cold. Come along, he said. We
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: are on the lower side of the cut. Crawl for
• 33:08
  Speaker 1: a short distance. Then we can get up and run,
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: which will be the best thing for us. In three
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: minutes they were up on the river bank. Now we
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: can change our clothing, he said. The others will soon
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: get wet, though, but they won't be as cold as
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: these are. The things were soon stripped off. Each gave
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: himself a rub with one of the dry shirts, and
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: they were soon dressed in double suits and stockings. That
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: is better, Fergus said, cheerfully. Now for short run along
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: the towing path. A quarter of a mile's run, and
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: circulation was restored, and all felt comparatively comfortable. They had
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: it the suggestion of Fergus, wrung out the things they
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: had taken off and thrown them over their shoulders, so
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: as to afford some protection against the rain. They now
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: dropped into a slower p and after going for a mile,
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: they neared the spot where the craft were lying moored
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: in the river. Several small boats were drawn up on
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: the shore. One of these they launched, put out the oars,
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: and rowed quietly to a large barge fifty yards from
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: the bank, on which light was burning. Taking pains to
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: prevent the boat striking her side, they stepped on board,
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: fastening the head rope, and proceeded aft. After light was
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: burning in the cabin, and looking through a little round
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: window in the door, they saw three boatmen sitting there,
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: smoking and playing cards. They opened their knives, slid back
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: the door, and stepped in. End of Chapter fourteen