the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第10部分

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　the　man　who　had　treated　me　so　tyranically；　Bruckhausen；　that　his　own　negligence　might　be　evident。　　But　this　man；　though　he　wanted　understanding；　did　not　want　good　fortune。　　He　was　ill　for　some　time；　and　his　duty　devolved　on　K…　。

He　recovered；　and　the　visitation　being　over；　the　doors　were　no　sooner　barred　than　I　began　my　supposed　last　labour。　　I　had　only　three　feet　farther　to　proceed；　and　it　was　no　longer　necessary　I　should　bring　out　the　sand；　I　having　room　to　throw　it　behind　me。　What　my　anxiety　was；　what　my　exertions　were；　may　well　be　imagined。　My　evil　genius；　however；　had　decreed　that　the　same　sentinel；　who　had　heard　me　before；　should　be　that　day　on　guard。　　He　was　piqued　by　vanity；　to　prove　he　was　not　the　blockhead　he　had　been　called；　he　therefore　again　laid　his　ear　to　the　ground；　and　again　heard　me　burrowing。　　Ho　called　his　comrades　first；　next　thee　major；　lee　came；　and　heard　me　likewise；　they　then　went　without　the　pallisadoes；　and　heard　me　working　near　the　door；　at　which　place　I　was　to　break　into　the　gallery。　　This　door　they　immediately　opened；　entered　the　gallery　with　lanthorns；　and　waited　to　catch　the　hunted　fox　when　unearthed。

Through　the　first　small　breach　I　made　I　perceived　a　light；　and　saw　the　heads　of　those　who　were　expecting　me。　　This　was　indeed　a　thunder…stroke！　　I　crept　back；　made　my　way　through　the　sand　I　had　cast　behind　me；　and　awaited　my　fate　with　shuddering！　　I　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　conceal　my　pistols；　candles；　paper；　and　some　money；　under　the　floor　which　I　could　remove。　　The　money　was　disposed　of　in　various　holes；　well　concealed　also　between　the　panels　of　the　doors；　and　under　different　cracks　in　the　floor　I　hid　my　small　files　and　knives。　　Scarcely　were　these　disposed　of　before　the　doors　resounded：　　the　floor　was　covered　with　sand　and　sand…bags：　　my　handcuffs；　however；　and　the　separating　bar；　I　had　hastily　resumed　that　they　might　suppose　I　had　worked　with　them　on；　which　they　were　silly　enough　to　credit；　highly　to　my　future　advantage。

No　man　was　more　busy　on　this　occasion　than　the　brutal　and　stupid　Bruckhausen；　who　put　many　interrogatories；　to　which　I　made　no　reply；　except　assuring　him　that　I　should　have　completed　my　work　some　days　sooner；　had　it　not　been　his　good　fortune　to　fall　sick；　and　that　this　only　had　been　the　cause　of　my　failure。

The　man　was　absolutely　terrified　with　apprehension；　he　began　to　fear　me；　grew　more　polite；　and　even　supposed　nothing　was　impossible　to　me。

It　was　too　late　to　remove　the　sand；　therefore　the　lieutenant　and　guard　continued　with　me；　so　that　this　night　at　least　I　did　not　want　company。　　When　the　morning　came；　the　hole　was　first　filled　up；　the　planking　was　renewed。　　The　tyrant　Borck　was　ill；　and　could　not　come；　otherwise　my　treatment　would　have　been　still　more　lamentable。　　The　smiths　had　ended　before　the　evening；　and　the　irons　were　heavier　than　ever。　　The　foot　chains；　instead　of　being　fastened　as　before；　were　screwed　and　riveted；　all　else　remained　as　formerly。　　They　were　employed　in　the　flooring　till　the　next　day；　so　that　I　could　not　sleep；　and　at　last　I　sank　down　with　weariness。

The　greatest　of　my　misfortunes　was　they　again　deprived　me　of　my　bed；　because　I　had　cut　it　up　for　sand…bags。　　Before　the　doors　were　barred　Bruckhausen　and　another　major　examined　my　body　very　narrowly。　　They　often　had　asked　me　where　I　concealed　all　my　implements？　　My　answer　was；　〃Gentlemen；　Beelzebub　is　my　best　and　most　intimate　friend；　he　brings　me　everything　I　want；　supplies　me　with　light：　　we　play　whole　nights　at　piquet；　and；　guard　me　as　you　please；　he　will　finally　deliver　me　out　of　your　power。〃

Some　were　astonished；　others　laughed。　　At　length；　as　they　were　barring　the　last　door；　I　called；　〃Come　back；　gentlemen！　you　have　forgotten　something　of　great　importance。〃　　In　the　interim　I　had　taken　up　one　of　my　hidden　files。　　When　they　returned；　〃Look　ye；　gentlemen；〃　said　I；　〃here　is　a　proof　of　the　friendship　Beelzebub　has　for　me；　he　has　brought　me　this　in　a　twinkling。〃　　Again　they　examined；　and　again　they　shut　their　doors。　　While　they　were　so　doing；　I　took　out　a　knife；　and　ten　louis…d'ors；　called；　and　they　re　turned；　grumbling　curses；　I　then　shewed　the　knife　and　the　louis…　d'ors。　　Their　consternation　was　excessive；　and　I　diverted　my　misfortunes　by　jesting　at　such　blundering；　short…sighted　keepers。　It　was　soon　rumoured　through　Magdeburg；　especially　among　the　simple　and　vulgar；　that　I　was　a　magician　to　whom　the　devil　brought　all　I　asked。

One　Major　Holtzkammer；　a　very　selfish　man；　profited　by　this　report。　A　foolish　citizen　had　offered　him　fifty　dollars　if　he　might　only　be　permitted　to　see　me　through　the　door；　being　very　desirous　to　see　a　wizard。　　Holtzkammer　told　me；　and　we　jointly　determined　to　sport　with　his　credulity。　　The　major　gave　me　a　mask　with　a　monstrous　nose；　which　I　put　on　when　the　doors　were　opening；　and　threw　myself　in　an　heroic　attitude。　　The　affrighted　burger　drew　back；　but　Holtzkammer　stopped　him；　and　said；　〃Have　patience　for　some　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　you　shall　see　he　will　assume　quite　a　different　countenance。〃　The　burger　waited；　my　mask　was　thrown　by；　and　my　face　appeared　whitened　with　chalk；　and　made　ghastly。　　The　burger　again　shrank　back；　Holtzkammer　kept　him　in　conversation；　and　I　assumed　a　third　farcical　form。　　I　tied　my　hair　under　my　nose；　and　a　pewter　dish　to　my　breast；　and　when　the　door　a　third　time　opened；　I　thundered；　〃Begone；　rascals；　or　I'll　set　your　necksawry！〃　　They　both　ran：　and　the　silly　burger；　eased　of　his　fifty　dollars；　scampered　first。

The　major；　in　vain；　laid　his　injunctions　on　the　burger　never　to　reveal　what　he　had　beheld；　it　being　a　breach　of　duty　in　him　to　admit　any　persons　whatever　to　the　sight　of　me。　　In　a　few　days；　the　necromancer　Trenck　was　the　theme　of　every　alehouse　in　Magdeburg；　and　the　person　was　named　who　had　seen　me　change　my　form　thrice　in　the　space　of　one　hour。　　Many　false　and　ridiculous　circumstances　were　added；　and　at　last　the　story　reached　the　governor's　ears。　　The　citizen　was　cited；　and　offered　to　take　his　oath　of　what　himself　and　the　major　had　seen。　　Holtzkammer　accordingly　suffered　a　severe　reprimand；　and　was　some　days　under　arrest。　　We　frequently　laughed；　however；　at　this　adventure；　which　had　rendered　me　so　much　the　subject　of　conversation。　　Miraculous　reports　were　the　more　easily　credited；　because　no　one　could　comprehend　how；　in　despite　of　the　load　of　irons　I　carried；　and　all　the　vigilance　of　my　guards；　I　should　be　continually　able　to　make　new　attempts；　while　those　appointed　to　examine　my　dungeon　seemed；　as　it　were；　blinded　and　bewildered。　　A　proof　this；　how　easy　it　is　to　deceive　the　credulous；　and　whence　have　originated　witchcraft；　prophecies；　and　miracles。



CHAPTER　IV。



My　last　undertaking　had　employed　me　more　than　twelve　months；　and　so　weakened　me　that　I　appeared　little　better　than　a　skeleton。　Notwithstanding　the　greatness　of　my　spirit；　I　should　have　sunk　into　despondency；　at　seeing　an　end　like　this　to　all　my　labours；　had　I　not　still　cherished　a　secret　hope　of　escaping；　founded　on　the　friends　I　had　gained　among　the　officers。

I　soon　felt　the　effects　of　the　loss　of　my　bed；　and　was　a　second　time　attacked　by　a　violent　fever；　which　would　this　time　certainly　have　consumed　me　had　not　the　officers；　unknown　to　the　governor；　treated　me　with　all　possible　compassion。　　Bruckhausen　alone　continued　my　enemy；　and　the　slave　of　his　orders；　on　his　day　of　examination　rules　and　commands　in　all　their　rigour　were　observed；　nor　durst　I　free　myself　from　my　irons；　till　I　had　for　some　weeks　remarked　those　parts　on　which　he　invariably　fixed　his　attention。　　I　then　cut　through　the　link；　and　closed　up　the　vacancy　with　bread。　　My　hands　I　could　always　draw　out；　especially　after　illness　had　consumed　the　flesh　off　my　bones。　　Half　a　year　had　elapsed　before　I　had　recovered　sufficient　strength　to　undertake；　anew；　labours　like　the　past。

Necessity　at　length　taught　me　the　means　of　driving　Bruckhausen　from　my　dungeon；　and　of　inducing　him　to　commit　his　office　to　another。　　I　learnt　his　olfactory　nerves　were　somewhat　delicate；　and　whenever　I　heard　the　doors　unbar；　I　took　care　to　make　a　stir　in　my　night…table。　This　made　him　give　back；　and　at　length　he　would　come　no　farther　than　the　door。　　Such　are　the　hard　expedients　of　a　poor　unhappy　prisoner！

One　day　he　came；　bloated　with　pride；　just　after　a　courier　had　brought　the　news　of　victory；　and　spoke　of　the　Austrians；　and　the　august　person　of　the　Empress…Queen　with　so　much　virulence；　that；　at　last；　enraged　almost　to　madness；　I　snatched　the　sword　of　an　officer　from　its　sheath；　and　should　certainly　have　ended　him；　had　he　not　made　a　hasty　retreat。　　From　that　day　forward　he　durst　no　more　come　without　guards　to　examine　the　dungeon。　　Two　men　always　preceded　him；　with　their　bayonets　fixed；　and　their　pieces　presented；　behind　whom　he　stood　at　the　door。　　This　was　another　fortunate　incident；　as　I　dreaded　only　his　examination。

The　following　anecdote　will　afford　a　specimen　of　this　man's　understanding。　　While　digging　in　the　earth　I　found　a　cannon…ball；　and　laid　it　in　the　middle　of　my　prison。　　When　he　came　to　examine　〃What　in　the　name　of　God　is　that？〃　said　he。　　〃It　is　a　part　of　the　ammunition；〃　answered　I；　〃that　my　Familiar　brings　me。　　The　cannon　will　be　here　anon；　and　you　will　then　see　fine　sport！〃　　He　was　astonished；　told　t