the life and adventures of baron trenck-2-第7部分

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；　however；　after　eight　months'　incessant　labour；　rendered　my　whole　project　abortive。

I　wrote　once　more　to　Ruckhardt；　at　Vienna；　sent　him　a　new　assignment　for　money；　and　desired　he　would　again　repair　to　Gummern；　where　he　should　wait　six　several　nights；　with　two　spare　horses；　on　the　glacis　of　Klosterbergen；　at　the　time　appointed；　everything　being　prepared　for　flight。　　Within　these　six　days　Gelfhardt　would　have　found　means；　either　in　rotation；　or　by　exchanging　the　guard；　to　have　been　with　me。　　Alas！　the　sweet　hope　of　again　beholding　the　face　of　the　sun；　of　once　more　obtaining　my　freedom；　endured　but　three　days：　　Providence　thought　proper　otherwise　to　ordain。　　Gelfhardt　sent　his　wife　to　Gummern　with　the　letter；　and　this　silly　woman　told　the　post…master　her　husband　had　a　lawsuit　at　Vienna；　that　therefore　she　begged　he　would　take　particular　care　of　the　letter；　for　which　purpose　she　slipped　ten　rix…dollars　into　his　hand。

This　unexpected　liberality　raised　the　suspicions　of　the　Saxon　post…　master；　who　therefore　opened　the　letter；　read　the　contents；　and　instead　of　sending　it　to　Vienna；　or　at　least　to　the　general　post…　master　at　Dresden；　he　preferred　the　traitorous　act　of　taking　it　himself　to　the　governor　of　Magdeburg；　who　then；　as　at　present；　was　Prince　Ferdinand　of　Brunswick。

What　were　my　terrors；　what　my　despair；　when　I　beheld　the　Prince　himself；　about　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　enter　my　prison　with　his　attendants；　present　my　letter；　and　ask；　in　an　authoritative　voice；　who　had　carried　it　to　Gummern。　　My　answer　was；　〃I　know　not。〃　Strict　search　was　immediately　made　by　smiths；　carpenters；　and　masons；　and　after　half　an　hour's　examination；　they　discovered　neither　my　hole　nor　the　manner　in　which　I　disencumbered　myself　of　my　chains；　they　only　saw　that　the　middle　grating；　in　the　aperture　where　the　light　was　admitted；　had　been　removed。　　This　was　boarded　up　the　next　day；　only　a　small　air…hole　left；　of　about　six　inches　diameter。

The　Prince　began　to　threaten；　I　persisted　I　had　never　seen　the　sentinel　who　had　rendered　me　this　service；　nor　asked　his　name。　Seeing　his　attempts　all　ineffectual；　the　governor；　in　a　milder　tone；　said；　〃You　have　ever　complained；　Baron　Trenck；　of　not　having　been　legally　sentenced；　or　heard　in　your　own　defence；　I　give　you　my　word　of　honour；　this　you　shall　be；　and　also　that　you　shall　be　released　from　your　fetters；　if　you　will　only　tell　me　who　took　your　letter。〃　To　this　I　replied；　with　all　the　fortitude　of　innocence；　〃Everybody　knows；　my　lord；　I　have　never　deserved　the　treatment　I　have　met　with　in　my　country。　　My　heart　is　irreproachable。　　I　seek　to　recover　my　liberty　by　every　means　in　my　power：　　but　were　I　capable　of　betraying　the　man　whose　compassion　has　induced　him　to　succour　my　distress；　were　I　the　coward　that　could　purchase　happiness　at　his　expense；　I　then　should；　indeed；　deserve　to　wear　those　chains　with　which　I　am　loaded。　　For　myself；　do　with　me　what　you　please：　　yet　remember　I　am　not　wholly　destitute：　　I　am　still　a　captain　in　the　Imperial　service；　and　a　descendant　of　the　house　of　Trenck。〃

Prince　Ferdinand　stood　for　a　moment　unable　to　answer；　then　renewed　his　threats；　and　left　my　dungeon。　　I　have　since　been　told　that；　when　he　was　out　of　hearing；　he　said　to　those　around　him；　〃I　pity　his　hard　fate；　and　cannot　but　admire　his　strength　of　mind！〃

I　must　here　remark　that；　when　we　remember　the　usual　circumspection　of　this　great　man；　we　are　obliged　to　wonder　at　his　imprudence　in　holding　a　conversation　of　such　a　kind　with　me；　which　lasted　a　considerable　time；　in　the　presence　of　the　guard。　　The　soldiers　of　the　whole　garrison　had　afterwards　the　utmost　confidence；　as　they　were　convinced　I　would　not　meanly　devote　others　to　destruction；　that　I　might　benefit　myself。　　This　was　the　way　to　gain　me　esteem　and　intercourse　among　the　men；　especially　as　the　Duke　had　said　he　knew　I　must　have　money　concealed；　for　that　I　had　distributed　some　to　the　sentinels。

He　had　scarcely　been　gone　an　hour；　before　I　heard　a　noise　near　my　prison。　　I　listenedwhat　could　it　be？　　I　heard　talking；　and　learned　a　grenadier　had　hanged　himself　to　the　pallisadoes　of　my　prison。

The　officer　of　the　town…guard；　and　the　town…major　again　entered　my　dungeon　to　fetch　a　lanthorn　they　had　forgotten；　and　the　officer　at　going　out；　told　me　in　a　whisper；　〃One　of　your　associates　has　just　hanged　himself。〃

It　was　impossible　to　imagine　my　terror　or　sensations；　I　believed　it　could　be　only　my　kind；　my　honest　Gelfhardt。　　After　many　gloomy　thoughts；　and　lamenting　the　unhappy　end　of　so　worthy　a　fellow；　I　began　to　recollect　what　the　Prince　had　promised　me；　if　I　would　discover　the　accomplice。　　I　knocked　at　the　door；　and　desired　to　speak　to　the　officer；　he　came　to　the　window　and　asked　me　what　I　wanted；　I　requested　he　would　inform　the　governor　that　if　he　would　send　me　light；　pen；　ink；　and　paper；　I　would　discover　my　whole　secret。

These　were　accordingly　sent；　an　hour's　time　was　granted；　the　door　was　shut；　and　I　was　left　alone。　　I　sat　myself　down；　began　to　write　on　my　night…table；　and　was　about　to　insert　the　name　of　Gelfhardt；　but　my　blood　thrilled；　and　shrank　back　to　my　heart。　　I　shuddered；　rose；　went　to　the　aperture　of　the　window　and　called；　〃Is　there　no　man　who　in　compassion　will　tell　me　the　name　of　him　who　has　hanged　himself；　that　I　may　deliver　many　others　from　destruction？〃　　The　window　was　not　nailed　up　till　the　next　day；　I　therefore　wrapped　five　pistoles　in　a　paper；　threw　them　out；　called　to　the　sentinel；　and　said；　〃Friend；　take　these；　and　save　thy　comrades；　or　go　and　betray　me；　and　bring　down　innocent　blood　upon　thy　head！〃

The　paper　was　taken　up；　a　pause　of　silence　ensued：　　I　heard　sighs；　and　presently　after　a　low　voice　said；　〃his　name　is　Schutz；　he　belonged　to　the　company　of　Ripps。〃　　I　had　never　heard　the　name　before；　or　known　the　man；　but　I　however　immediately　wrote　SCHUTZ；　instead　of　Gelfhardt。　　Having　finished　the　letter　I　called　the　lieutenant；　who　took　that　and　the　light　away；　and　again　barred　up　the　door　of　my　dungeon。　　The　Duke；　however；　suspected　there　must　be　some　evasion；　and　everything　remained　in　the　same　state：　　I　obtained　neither　hearing　nor　court…martial。　　I　learned；　in　the　sequel；　the　following　circumstances；　which　will　display　the　truth　of　this　apparently　incredible　story。

While　I　was　imprisoned　in　the　citadel；　a　sentinel　came　to　the　post　under　my　window；　cursed　and　blasphemed；　exclaiming　aloud　against　the　Prussian　service；　and　saying；　if　Trenck　only　knew　my　mind；　he　would　not　long　continue　in　his　hole！　　I　entered　into　discourse　with　him；　and　he　told　me；　if　I　could　give　him　money　to　purchase　a　boat；　in　which　he　might　cross　the　Elbe；　he　would　soon　make　my　doors　fly　open；　and　set　me　free。

Money　at　that　time　I　had　none；　but　I　gave　him　a　diamond　shirt…　buckle；　worth　five　hundred　ferns；　which　I　had　concealed。　　I　never　heard　more　from　this　man；　he　spoke　to　me　no　more。　　He　often　stood　sentinel　over　me；　which　I　knew　by　his　Westphalian　dialect；　and　I　as　often　addressed　myself　to　him；　but　ineffectually；　he　would　make　no　answer。

This　Schutz　must　have　sold　my　buckle；　and　let　his　riches　be　seen；　for；　when　the　Duke　left　me；　the　lieutenant　on　guard　said　to　him　〃You　must　certainly　be　the　rascal　who　carried　Trenck's　letter；　you　have；　for　some　time　past；　spent　much　money；　and　we　have　seen　you　with　louis…d'ors。　　How　came　you　by　them？〃　　Schutz　was　terrified；　his　conscience　accused　him；　he　imagined　I　should　betray　him；　knowing　he　had　deceived　me。　　He；　therefore；　in　the　first　agonies　of　despair；　came　to　the　pallisadoes；　and　hung　himself　before　the　door　of　my　dungeon。



CHAPTER　III。



How　wonderful　is　the　hand　of　Providence！　　The　wicked　man　fell　a　sacrifice　to　his　crime；　after　having　escaped　a　whole　year；　and　the　faithful；　the　benevolent…hearted　Gelfhardt　was　thereby　saved。

The　sentinels　were　now　doubled；　that　any　intercourse　with　them　might　be　rendered　more　difficult。　　Gelfhardt　again　stood　guard；　but　he　had　scarcely　opportunity；　without　danger；　to　speak　a　few　words：　　he　thanked　me　for　having　preserved　him；　wished　me　better　fortune；　and　told　me　the　garrison；　in　a　few　days；　would　take　the　field。

This　was　dreadful　news：　　my　whole　plan　was　destroyed　at　a　breath。　I；　however；　soon　recovered　fresh　hopes。　　The　hole　I　had　sunken　was　not　discovered：　　I　had　five　hundred　florins；　candles；　and　implements。

The　seven　years'　war　broke　out　about　a　week　after；　and　the　regiment　took　the　field。　　Major　Weyner　came；　for　the　last　time；　and　committed　me　to　the　care　of　the　new　major　of　the　militia；　Bruckhausen；　who　was　one　of　the　most　surly　and　stupid　of　men。　　I　shall　often　have　occasion　to　mention　this　man。

All　the　majors　and　lieutenants　of　the　guard；　who　had　treated　me　with　compassion　and　esteem；　now　departed；　and　I　became　an　old　prisoner　in　a　new　world。　　I　acquired　greater　confidence；　however；　by　remembering　that　both　officers　and　men　in　the　militia　were　much　easier　to　gain　over　than　in　the　regulars；　the　truth　of　which　opinion　was　soon　confirmed。

Four　lieutenants　were　appointed；　with　their　men；　to　mount　guard　at　the　Star　Fort　in　turn；　and　before　a　year　had　passed；　three　of　them　were　in　my　interest。

The　regiments　had　scarcely　taken　the　field　ere　the　new　governor；　General　Borck；　entered　my　prison；　like　what　he　was；　an　imperious；　cruel　tyrant。　　The　King；　in　g