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16 - 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: Escaped. So astonishing was the spectacle of three lightly clad
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: men appearing suddenly on water craft moored out on the river,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: that the three boatmen sat immovable in the attitudes in
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: which they had been sitting at the entry of these
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: strange visitors, without uttering a word. Superstitious by nature, they
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: doubted whether there was not something supernatural in the appearance
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: of these three strangers. If you cry out or make
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: the slightest sound, Fergus said, showing his night, you are
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: all dead men. If you sit quiet and do as
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: we order you, no harm will come to you. We
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: want clothes. You will have spare ones. You can hand
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: them to us. If not, we must take those you
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: have on We are not robbers and don't want to
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: steal them. If you will fix a fair price on
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: the things, we will pay for them. But you must,
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: in any case submit to be bound and gagged till morning.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: When on going on deck, you will find no difficulty
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: in attracting the attention of some of your comrades, who
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: will at once release you. Keep your hands on the
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: table while my friends take away your knives. If one
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: of you moves a hand, he is as good as
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: a dead man. He's the companions remove the knives from
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: the belts of the two men sitting outside, and then
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: Fergus said to the third man, now hand over your knife.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: That will do. Now, which of you is the captain?
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: I am? The man sitting furthest from the door said
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: very well, Now have you spare clothes on board? Yes,
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: my lord, he replied, in a tone that showed that
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: he had not yet recovered from his first stupefaction. We
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: have our Sunday suits. We don't want them, Fergus said,
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: we want the three suits that you have on. What
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: do you value with them at anything? You like? My lord? No,
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: I want to know how much they caught you when new.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: The man asked us two comrades, and then mentioned the total.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Very well, we will give you that. Then you have
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: no reason for grumbling, for you will get three new
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: suits for three old ones. Now, do you, and he
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: touched the man nearest him, take off your coat, waistcoat, breeches,
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: neckkerchief and boots, and then get into the bunk. The
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: man did as he was ordered, as did the other
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: two in succession. As they did so, Captain Ritzer had
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: gone up on decked and returned with a coil of
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: thin rope that he had cut off. With this, they
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: tied the men securely. There is no occasion to gag them.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: I think Bergers said. They might shout as loud as
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: they liked, and with this wind blowing, no one would
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: hear them, or if anyone did hear them, he would
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: take it for the shouting of a drunken man. Now
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: look here, my men, here is the money to buy
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  Speaker 1: the new clothes. We have not ill treated you in
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: any way, have we no, sir, We are quite satisfied.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: Now I should advise you in the morning to manage
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: to untie each other. We shall fasten the door are
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: up as we go out, but you will have no
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: difficulty in bursting that open when you are once untied.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Now I ask you, as you are satisfied, to say
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: nothing about this affair to anyone. It would only make
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: you look a joke among your comrades and could do
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: you no good. The best thing that you can do
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  Speaker 1: when you get free will be to dress yourselves in
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  Speaker 1: your Sunday clothes, take your boat ashore, and buy new
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  Speaker 1: things in place of those we have taken. This is
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: what we shall do, sir. No one would believe us
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: if we told them that three men had come on board,
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  Speaker 1: taken our clothes given us money to buy new ones
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: in their place. The three batmen were all tall and
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: brawny Bavarians, and their clothes fitted Fergus and his companions well.
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: Fishermen Hats completed their custom. The little cabin had been
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: almost oppressively warm, and they had completely got over their
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: childre when they left it, closing the door behind them.
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  Speaker 1: They took their places in the boat, crossed to the
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: opposite shore, which was to some extent sheltered from the wind,
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  Speaker 1: and rowed some three miles up. Then they landed, pushed
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  Speaker 1: the boat off into the stream, kept along the bank
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  Speaker 1: until they came to a road branching off to the left,
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  Speaker 1: and followed it until it struck the main road a
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  Speaker 1: few hundred yards away, and then walked west. There had
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: been but a few words spoken since they left the barge.
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  Speaker 1: It had been hard work rowing against the wind and stream.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: The oars were clumsy, and it had needed all the
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: efforts to keep the boat headed straight. Now that they
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: were in the main road, they were somewhat more sheltered. Well, Drummond,
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: we have accomplished what seems to me, in spite of
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: your confidence, a well nigh impossible. We have obtained disguises,
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: and we have eight or nine hours before our escape
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: can be discovered. I shall believe anything you tell me
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: in the future, rich has said, Yes, his companion agreed.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: I I never believed that we should succeed, though, as
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: you had set your heart on it. I did not
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: like to hang back. But it really seemed to me
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: a wild scheme altogether. I thought possibly we might get
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: out of the fort, but I believe that your plan
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: of getting disguises would break down altogether. The rest seed
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: comparatively easy. The rain has ceased and the stars are
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: coming out, which is a comfort. Indeed, one was often
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: wet through for days together when campaigning, but after five
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: months coddling an eight hours tramp in a blindly rain
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: would have been very unpleasant, especially as we have no
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: change of clothes. Now, commanding officer, what is to be
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: on our next tail? That is simple enough, Fergus said,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: would have laughed. We have been down with a raft
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  Speaker 1: of timber from the mountains, and on our way back
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  Speaker 1: that must be our story. Till we have passed Ratispan.
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  Speaker 1: There is but one objection, and that is a serious one.
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  Speaker 1: As raftsmen, we should certainly speak the Bavarian dialect, which
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: none of us can do. For that reason, I think
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: it would be safer to leave the Danube at Passu
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: and make down through Munich. We should be at Passu
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: tomorrow morning and can put up at any little place
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  Speaker 1: by the riverside. Two days walking will take us to Munich.
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  Speaker 1: Certainly no one would suspect us of being escaped prisoners.
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  Speaker 1: We can get some other clothes tomorrow morning and finish
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  Speaker 1: the rest of our journey as countrymen. The principal thing
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: will be to get rid of these high boots. I
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: think in other respects there is nothing very distinctive about
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  Speaker 1: our dress. It will be more difficult to concoct the story.
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: But we must hope that we shan't be asked many questions,
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  Speaker 1: and I see no reason why we should be. We
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  Speaker 1: shall look like peasants going from a country village to
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  Speaker 1: a town. But if we could hit upon some story
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: to account for our not speaking the die, it would
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: of course be a great advantage. They walked along in
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: silence for some time, and then he went on, I
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: should say we might give out that we are three
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: Saxons who, having been forced to Pirna to enter the
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: Prussian army, have been taken prisoners at Hotchkirch, and had
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: been marched down with others to Vienna. And that they're
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: on stating who we were and how we had been
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: forced against our will into Federick's army. We were at
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: once released and are now on our way back to Saxony,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: and are tramping through Bavaria so as to avoid the
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: risk of being seized and compelled to serve either in
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: the Austrian army or the Prussian And that we are
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: working our way, doing a job wherever we can get
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: a day or two's employment, but that at present, having
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: worked for a time at Vienna, we are able to
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: go on for a bit without doing so. I think
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  Speaker 1: with that story we could keep to the place of
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: going up through Ratisbond. It would be immensely shorter, and
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: the story would be more probable than that we should
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: make such a big detour to get home. Yes, I
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: should think that would do well Ritz has said, and
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: will shorten the way by two hundred miles. But after
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: leaving Passeu, I should think that we had better not
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  Speaker 1: follow the direct road until we get the ratisbud. I
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: grant that as far as that town we ought to
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  Speaker 1: be quite safe, But there is no chance of their
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  Speaker 1: finding out that we have escaped until eight o'clock in
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: the morning. Then our colonel will have to report the
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: matter to the commandant in the town. No doubt he
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: will send off a small party of cavalry by the
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: Friedbury road to Budweiss, to order the authorities there to
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: keep a sharp lookout for three men passing north. But
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: I doubt very much whether they will think of sending
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: in this direction. The escape of three Prussian all is,
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: after all no very important matter. Still, one cannot be
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: too careful, or possibly the commandant may send to Munich,
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: Ratisbonn and Vienna. It is more likely, however, that the
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: search will be made principally in and around Lynz. They
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: will feel quite sure that we cannot possibly have obtained
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  Speaker 1: any disguises, and must have gone off in our undergarments,
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: and they will reckon that we should naturally have hidden
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  Speaker 1: up in some outhouse or country lofts until we could
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  Speaker 1: find some opportunity for obtaining clothes. Most likely the barge
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: went on this morning before the alarm had been given,
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: but even if it didn't, boatmen would not be likely
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: to hear of the escape of three prisoners. Now I
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: think beyond Passel we shall be quite safe as far
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: as pursuit goes. But it will be best to halt
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: there only long enough to take a good meal, and
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  Speaker 1: then go on for a bit and stop at some
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: quiet riverside village. I don't think I shall be able
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: to go very far. Rich has said. These boats are
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: a great deal too large for me and are chafing
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  Speaker 1: my feet horribly. The road is good and level, and
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: I was thinking just now of taking them off and
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  Speaker 1: carrying them. That would be best way by far. Fergus said,
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  Speaker 1: I should think at Passel, we are sure to find
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  Speaker 1: a boat going up to Ratispan, and that will settle
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: the difficulty. The distance was some thirty miles, and making
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: one or two halts for rest, they reached Passeau just
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: as morning was breaking. In a short time, the little
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: inns by the river opened their doors, and the riverside
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  Speaker 1: was astir They went into one of the inns ate
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: a hearty meal. Then they went down to the water
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  Speaker 1: side and found that there were several country boats going
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: up river. They soon bargained for a passage and had
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: just time to buy a basket of bread, sausage and cheese,
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: with there for a dozen bottles of wine before the
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: boat started. There were no other passengers on board, and
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: telling the story they had agreed upon, they were soon
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: on good terms with the boatsmen, including the windings of
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  Speaker 1: the river. It was some eighty miles to Ratisbon. The
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: boat was towed by two horses and glided pleasantly alone,
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: taking three days on the passage. They brought food at
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: the villages where the craft lay up for the night,
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: and arrived at Ratisbon at nine o'clock in the evening.
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  Speaker 1: There they found no difficulty in obtaining a lodging and
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: a small inn, where no questions whatever were asked. A
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: short day's journey took them to Neumarked, a tramp of
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: upwards of twenty miles. It was a longer journey on
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: to Bamberg, and two days later, to their satisfaction, they
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: entered Coburg. They were now out of Bavaria and escaped
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: all the difficulties as to the die like far better
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: than they had anticipated, never having been asked any questions
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: since they left the boat at Ratisbond. They had now
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: only to say that they were on their way to
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: join the Confederate army that was again being gathered, but
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: they preferred avoiding all questions by walking by night and
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: resting at little wayside inns during the day, avoiding all
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: towns for the troops who were beginning to move. They
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: crossed the Saxon frontier three days after leaving Coburg, and
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: then traveled by easy stages to Dresden. Here they went
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: straight to the headquarters of the commandant of the town
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  Speaker 1: and reported themselves to him. Fergus had personal acquaintances on
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: his staff, and had no difficulty in obtaining for himself
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: and his companions in advance of a portion of the
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: pay due to them, in order that they might obtain
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: new outfits. This took a couple of days, and the
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: two captains then said goodbye to Fergus with many wars
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: acknowledgements for the matter in which he had enabled them
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: to regain their freedom, expressions all the more earnest since
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: they heard that the Austrians had decided that in the
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: future they would make no exchange whatever of prisoners, and
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: started to rejoin their regiments. Fergus felt strangely lonely when
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: they had left him. The king was at Breslau Keith
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: was lying dead in Hotchkirch. What had become of Lindsay,
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: he knew not, nor did he know to whom he
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: ought to report himself, or where Karl might be, with
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: his remaining charger and belongings. Hitherto at Dresden, he had
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: felt at home. Now, save for Count Eulen First and
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: his family, he was a stranger in his place. Naturally,
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: therefore he went out to their chateau. Here he was
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: received with the same warmth as usual. Of course, we
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: heard of your capture and Hotchkirch, the count said, though
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: not for many weeks afterwards. We were alarmed when the
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: news came of the Marshal's death, for as it was
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: upon his division that the brunt of the battle at falling,
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: we feared greatly for you. At last came the list
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: the Austrians had sent in of the prisoners they had taken,
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: and we were delighted to see your name in it.
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: Though as the Austrians have been so chary of late
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: of exchanging prisoners, we feared that we might not see
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: you for some time. However, remembering how you got out
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: of Spielberg, we did not despair of seeing you back
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: in the spring. Thursa was especially confident. I believe she
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: conceives you capable of achieving impossibilities. However, you have justified
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: her faith in you. Supper will be served in a
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: few minutes, and as no doubt, your story is, as
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: usual a long one. We will not begin it until
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: we have finished the meal. But tell us first, how
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: were you captured? Lighting through the mist to find the marshal,
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: whom I had not seen for two hours. As I
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: was with the regiment that defended the church at Hotchkirch
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: and then cut its way out through the Austrians. The
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: mist was so thick that I could not see ten
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: yards ahead, and rode plump into an Austrian battalion. They
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: filed a volley that killed poor Turk, and before I
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: can get on my feet, I was surrounded and taken prisoner.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: Not a very heroic way, I must admit, a much
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: pleasanter way, though, than that of being badly wounded and
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: so found on the field by the enemy, the Countess said,
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: and you were fortunate, indeed, in getting through that terrible
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: battle unhurt. I was indeed Countess, but I would far
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: rather have lost a limb than my dear friend and relation,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: the Marshal. I was allowed to attend his funeral the
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: next day. The Austrians paid him every honor, and though
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: I have mourned for him mostly, I cannot but feel
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: that it was the death he would himself have chosen.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: He had been ailing for some months, and had twice
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: been obliged to leave his command and rest. It would,
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: in any case probably have been his last commain. After
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: such a wonderfully adventurous life as he had. He would
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: have felt being laid upon the shelf sorely. His elder brother,
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: Earl Marischal in Scotland. Is he not, who has been
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: governor for some years at New for Shadow, is with
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: the King at Breslaw at present. They say the King
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: was greatly affected at the loss of the Marshal, who,
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: since Sherwin's death, has been his most trusted general. I
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: have never seen the Marshal's brother, Fergus said, though I
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: know that they were greatly attached to each other. I
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: hope that he will be at Breslaw when I get
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: there I shall go and report myself to the King
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: after I have had a few days rest here. At
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: present I seem altogether unattached. The marshal staff is of
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: course broken up. But as I served on the King's
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: own staff twice during the last campaign, I trust that
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: he will put me on it again. That he will do,
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: of course, the Count said, after saving his life had
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: zorned off, he is sure to do so. Supper was
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: now announced, and after it had been removed and the
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: party drew round the fire, Fergus told them the story
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: of his escape. It was excellently managed, the Count said,
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: when he had finished. I do not know that it
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: was quite as dramatic as your escape from Spielberg. But
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: I should think that of the two escape from Lynds
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: must have seen the most hopeless. The plan of getting
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: the shutters open and of swimming the moat might have
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: occurred to anyone, but the fact that you were in uniform,
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: and that it would have been impossible to smuggle in
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: a disguise would have appeared to most men an insurmountable
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: obstacle to carrying out the plan. You certainly are wonderfully
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: full of resource. As a rule, I should think that
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: it is much more difficult for two men to make
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: their escape from a place than it is from one alone.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: But it did not seem to be so in this case.
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: It certainly did not add to the difficulty of getting
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: out of the fort count. Indeed, in one respected rendered
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: it more easy. There were three of us to work
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: at the heads of the rivets, and it certainly facilitated
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: our getting closed from the boatmen, beside rendering the journey
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: much more pleasant than it would have been for one
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: of us alone. On the other hand, it would have
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: been impossible to carry out the escape from Spielberg in
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: the manner I did. If I had two officers with
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: me in the cell, we could not have hoped to
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: obtain three uniforms. Could oddly have expected all to slip
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: by this sentry unknown. Lastly, the three of us could
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: not have got post horses. Still, it is quite possible
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: that we might have escaped in some other matter. Then
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: you have not the most remote idea where you will
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: find your servant and horse, not the slightest. If Captain
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: Lindsey got safely through the Battle of Hotchkirch, I should
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: say that my man would stick by him. His servant,
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: a tough scotchman, and call on great chums. And I
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: have no doubt that unless he received positive orders to
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: the contrary, Carl has kept company with him. Of course,
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: you can find out from the authorities here who has
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: taken command of morsel Keith's division, and might possibly hear
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: whether he took over the Marshall's personal staff, or whether
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: he brought his own offices with him. Yes, I should
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: think I might do that, Count. I think I shall,
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: in any case report myself to the King. But if
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: Lindsey were stationed in any place I could pass through
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: on my way to Breslau, I would pick up Carl
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: on my horse. I shall of course send you another
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: horse tomorrow. The Count said, no, no, it is of
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: no use you saying anything against it. It was settled
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: that I shall supply you with mounts while the war lasted,
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: and I intend to carry that out fully. I don't
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: know that I have another in my stable here that
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: is quite the equal to the other pair, but there
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: are two or three that approach them very dearly. If
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: you can get amounted orderly well and good. If not,
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: I will lend you one of my men, any of
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: my grooms would be delighted to go with you, for
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: all regard you as the savior of our lives. I
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: am afraid, my friend, you will not be able to
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: pay us many more visits. Your king is a miracle
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: of steedfishness, of energy and rapidity, But even he cannot
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: perform impossibilities. Leave out the Russians, and I believe he
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: would be more than a match but the Austrians, who
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: are hampered by the slowness of their generals. But Russia
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: cannot be ignored. In the first campaign she was non existent.
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: In a second she annexed each Prussia. This year you
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: have had a deadly tussle with her. Next year she
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: may be still more formidable. And I do not believe
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: that Frederick, with all his skill and with the splendor
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: valor his troops show, can keep the Russians from advancing
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: still further into the country and at the same time
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: prevent the Austrians and the Federal Army from snatching Dressden
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: from his grasp. I myself should regret this deeply Preussure.
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: Although she taxes the population heavily, at least permits no
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: disorders nor ill treatment of the people. No plundering of
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: the villages, while the Austrians, Quoats and Pandurs will spread
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: like a swarm of hornets over the land, and the
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: state of accents under their so called rescuers will be
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: infinitely worse than it had been under their conquerors. It
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: would be a heavy blow to the king to lose Dresden.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: Fergus agreed, but I am by no means sure that
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: he would not be better without it, except of course,
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: that it would bring the enemy so much nearer to Berlin.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: Otherwise the loss of Saxony would be a benefit to him.
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: During all his movements and in all his combinations, he
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: is forced to keep his eye on Dresden. At one
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: moment it is subese with his mixed only of French,
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: Austrians and Confederate troops who have to be met and
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: leaving all else. Frederick is forced to march away two
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: or three hundred miles, waste two or three precious months
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: before he can get a blow at them. Then he
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: has to leave a considerate force to prevent them gathering again,
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: hurries back to prevent Dawn from besieging Dresden, or to
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: wrest Celesia again. Out of his hands, Saxony lost, he
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: could devote his whole mind and his whole power to
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: the Russian and Austrian armies, who will, no doubt, at
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: their next campaign endeavor to act together. And the nearer
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: they are to each other, the more easily and rapidly
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: can he strike blows at them. Alternately, Perhaps you are right,
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: the Count said, and certainly the Austrians would have to
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: keep a considerable force to garrison dresident and hold Saxony,
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: for they would be sure that at the very first
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: opportunity Frederick would be among them, raining his blows rapidly
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: and heavily. As to any advance north, they would not
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: dare attempt it, for Frederic, who can move more than
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: twice as fast as any Austrian army, would fall on
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: their flank or rear and annihilate them. Still, the blod
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: would be undoubtedly a heavy one for the king, inasmuch
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: as it would greatly raise the spirits of his enemies
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: and would seem to show them that the end was approaching.
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: I think the end is a good way off still, Count,
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: Even if the Russians and Austrians marched across Prussia, they
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: would hold little more than the ground they stood on,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: Frederick would be ever hovering around them, attacking them on
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: every opportunity, and preventing them from sending off detached columns,
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: while the cavalry of Zethan and Sedlets would effectively prevent
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: Cossacks and croats from going out together stores for the
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: armies and to plunder a massacre on their own account.
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: I doubt whether anything short of the annihilation of his
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: army would break the King's spirit, and so far as
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: I can see, that is by no means likely to
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: take place. However, the point at present, my friend, is
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: that if the Austrians get Dresden, and maybe long before
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: we see you again, I fancy that when the army
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: goes into winter quarters again, if I am able to
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: get leave of actions, I shall do myself the pleasure
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: of paying you a visit, whether the city has changed
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: hands or not. If one can travel twice through Austria
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: without being detected, it is hard, indeed, if I cannot
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: make my way into Saxony. But you must not run
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: to great risks. The Count has said, you know how
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: glad we should be to see you, and that we
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: regard you as warm ourselves. But even a mother could
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: hardly wish a son to run into such danger in
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: order that they might see each other for a short time.
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: What do you say, thursa, her father asked the girl
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: thus suddenly addressed colored hotly. I should be glad to
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: see him, father, He knows that very well. But I
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: should not like him to run risks. But he is
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: always running risk shot, and that, so far as I
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: can see, without so good a reason. At any rate,
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: I shall not join your mother in protesting what he
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: says is very true. He has twice made his way
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: many hundreds of miles in disguise for the purpose of
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: getting here in time for the first fighting, and I
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: do not think there will be anything like the same risk,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: and is coming here to pay us a visit. At
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: the same time, I would not say a single word
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: to induce him to do so. There is no saying
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: where he may be when the next winter sets in,
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: or what may take place during the coming campaign. In
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: times like these, it is a folly to make plans
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: of any sort three months in advance. I only say therefore, that,
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: should everything else be favorable, I think that an Austrian
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: occupation of Saxony would not be a very serious obstacle
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: to his paying us a visit next winter. Once here
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: he would be absolutely safe, and as the household know
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: what he has done for us, and probably for them,
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: for there is no saying whether some at least of
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: them might not have been killed by those villains, their
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: absolute discretion and silence can be relied upon. However, it
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: may be that we shall see him long before that
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: the King may have occasion to be here. Many times
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: during the summer. The Count would not hear of Fergus
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: returning to the hotel where he had put up, and
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: for a week he remained at the chateau, where the
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: time had passed very pleasantly. The luxurious appointments, the hospitable
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: attentions of his host and hostesses, and the whole of
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: his surroundings formed a strong contrast indeed, both through his
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: life when campaigning and the five months he had spent
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: in the casement at Lynn. At the end of that
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: time he felt ought to be on the move again.
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: He had learned that the officers of the Marshall's staff
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: had been dispersed, some being attached to other divisions, and
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: that Lindsay was now upon the staff of Prince Henry,
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: the Prince was out effort way and had already had
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: some sharp fighting with the French and the Confederate's army.
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: Fergus had learned this on the day after his arrival
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: at the chateau, and also that to the east there
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: was no sign or any movement on the part of
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: dun or of the King. He therefore suffered himself to
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: be persuaded to stay on for a week. Nobody has
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: expected you, Druvin, the Count said, no doubt, they will
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: be glad to see you, but they will be just
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: as glad ten days later as ten days earlier. You
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: are believed to be safe in some archery in prison,
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: and you may be sure that no one will make
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: any inquiries whether you spent a week or a month
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: in recovering from your fatigues before taking up your duties again.
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: At any rate, you must stay for at least a week.
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: The visit was indeed extended two days beyond that time,
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: for the Count and Countess oppressed him that he was
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: glad to give way, especially as his own inclinations strongly
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: second their entreaties. On the ninth morning, he was astonished
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: when his bedroom door opened and Carl came in and
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: gave his morning salute as impassively as if he had
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: seen him the evening before. Well, I car, he exclaimed,
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: Where do you spring from? How do you know that
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: I was here? When did you arrive? I arrived last night, Major,
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: But as it was late, we went straight to the stable.
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: Who is we called the Count's messenger, Sir. He reached
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: me at herfort where I was with Captain Lindsay four
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: days ago, and I started with him, and half an
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: hour later he had set out from here with a
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: lead horse and had ridden through but one night in bed,
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: and we had changes of horses coming back. And Tartar
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: is in good condition. Major. I let him all the
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: way down. This is most kind and thoughtful of the Count.
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: Fergus exclaimed, as he began to dress. Well, I am
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: heartily glad to see you again, Call. I was by
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: no means sure that you had got off safely at Hotchkirch.
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: I looked around for you directly I had been captured,
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: but could see nothing of you, and knew not whether
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: you had ridden off or had been killed by the volley.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: Then finished poor Turk and brought about my capture. It
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: was a bad business major, and I have never forgiven
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: myself that I was not by your side. But the
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: thing was so sudden that I was taken altogether by surprise.
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: My horse was grazed with a bullet, and what with
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: that had the sudden flash of fire, he bolted. I
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: had just caught sight of you and Turk going down
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: in a heap as my horse spun round and it
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: dad galloped a full hundred yards before I could check it.
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: Then I did not know what was best to do.
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: It seemed to me that you must certainly be killed.
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: If I had been sure that you had been wounded
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: and taken prisoner, I should have gone back. But even
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: then I might more likely than not have been shot
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: by the Austrians before I could explain matters. But I
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: really thought that you were killed, and as from the
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: shouting and firing, it seemed to me that the enemy
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: had it all their own way. There I rode back
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: to the farm house. Luckily the Austrians had not got there,
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: so I took Todter and rode with him to the
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: king's quarters and left him with his grooms, who know
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: him well enough. And then later on, having nothing else
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: to do, I Jordan Sedlitz and had the satisfaction of
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: striking many a good blow in revenge for you. Late
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: in the afternoon, when the fighting was over, I found
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: Captain Lindsey and told him about your loss. He comforted
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: me a bit by saying that he did not think
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: you were born to be shot, and said that I
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: had better stay with Donald till there was news about you.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: Two days later he told me they had got the
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: list of prisoners the Austrians had taken, and that you
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: were with them and unwounded. Then Major I was furious
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: with myself that I had not been taken prisoner too.
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: I should have more troubled still if Captain Lindsey had
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: not said that in the first place, Tottter would have
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: been lost if I had not come back straight to
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: fetch him, and that in the second place, it was
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: not likely that you would have been able to keep
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: me with you. Had I been a prisoner, we might
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: not even have been shut up in the same fortress.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: I asked him what I had better do, and he said,
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: I am going west to join Prince Henry. You had
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: better come with me. You may be sure that there
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: will be no questions asked about you. One way or
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: the other. I have no doubt Major Drummond will be
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: back in this He is sure to get out somehow.
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: It seemed to me that that was the best planned
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: to Major. If I had been sent back to my regiment,
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: I don't know what I should have done with your horse,
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: And then if you did return, I might not have
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: heard about it, and you would not have known what
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: had become of me. Once or twice during the month,
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: Captain Lindsey has said to me, your master ought to
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: have been here before this call. I quite reckoned on
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: his arriving by the end of March. I said, perhaps
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: you had not been able to get out, But he
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: would not hear of it. He said once, if you
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: were to head up the Major in a barrel, he
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: could find his way out somehow. He will be back soon.
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: He seemed so positive about that. I was not a
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: bit surprised when the messenger came and said that you
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: were at the Count's here, and that I was to
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: arrive with him posthaste so as to catch you before
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: you started to join the King of Breslau. Captain Lindsey
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: was as pleased as I was. He was dismounting when
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: the messenger came in, but wrote a line on the
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: leaf of his pocket book. Here it is, sir. The
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: slip of paper merely contained the words A thousand welcomes,
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: my dear Drummond. I haven't expected you for some time.
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: I wish you had turned up here instead of a Dresden.
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: Hoped to see you again soon. By this time Fergus
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: addressed my dear Count. He exclaimed, as he entered the
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: room where the Count and his wife and daughter were
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: already assembled. How can I thank you for your great
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: kindness in taking such pains to fetch call of a
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: horse down for me. I had no great pens about
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: the matter, the Count replied with a smile. I simply
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: wrote to my steward that a messenger must be sent
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: to Herford at once to order Major Drummond, soldier's servant,
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: to come here at all speed with his master's horse
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: and belongings. Make what arrangements you like, I said, for
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: relays of horses. But anyhow, he must get to Erfort
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: in three days, and would out give him four for
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: coming back again with the man. He is to be
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: found at the quarters of Captain Lindsey, who is on
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: the staff for Prince Henry. If Captain Lindsey himself is away,
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: you must find out his servants. That was all the
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: trouble that I had in the matter. You will have
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: really to thank Thurza for it was her idea. Directly
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: you had left the room after your telling us that
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: Lindsey was with Prince Andrey and most likely at Erfurt.
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: She said, I should think, father, that there would be
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: time to fetch Major Drummond, servant and horse. It is
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: not so very far, and surely it might be done
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: in a week. Well thought of, I said, it is
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: one hundred and seventy miles. A courier would realize the
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: horses could do it in three days without difficulty. It
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: might be better here again, were Drumm and serve it
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: in another four days. I will give orders at once,
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: so we can manage to get Drumming to delay his
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: departure for a day or two. So the thing was done.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: End of Chapter fifteen.