Part 13 (1/2)

”Well, what is it? Speak, my old friend,” said Blucher, puffing a cloud from his pipe, and satisfied that the old hussar would apply to him for money.

”I must beg leave to sit down, general,” said the old man, timidly.

”We have come on foot all the way from Rostock, and it is only fifteen minutes since we reached this village. We took only time enough at the tavern to change our dress; I put on my uniform, and Christian put on his Sunday coat. I am eighty years old, general, and my legs are not as strong as they used to be.”

”Eighty years old!” exclaimed Blucher, jumping up, ”eighty years old, and you have come on foot all the way from Rostock! Why, that is impossible! Christian, tell me, that cannot be true!”

”Yes, general, it is true. We have been on the way for three weeks past, for the old man cannot walk very fast, and we had not money enough to ride. We had to be thankful for having enough to pay for our beds at the taverns. And my father is more than eighty years of age! We have brought his certificate of birth with us.”

”Eighty years of age, and he came on foot all the way from Rostock, and I allow the old man to stand and offer him no chair!” exclaimed Blucher,--”I do not ask whether he is hungry and thirsty! John!

John!” And Blucher rushed to the bell-rope and rang the bell so violently that John entered the room in great excitement. ”John, quick!” shouted Blucher. ”Quick, a bottle of wine, two gla.s.ses, and bread, b.u.t.ter, and ham; and tell them in the kitchen to prepare a good dinner for these men, and have a room with two beds made ready for them in the adjoining house. Quick, John! In five minutes the wine and the other things must be here! Run!”

John hastened out of the room, and Blucher approached the old man, who looked on, speechless and deeply moved by the kind zeal the general had displayed in his behalf.

”Come, my dear friend,” said Blucher, kindly, taking him by the hand and conducting him across the room to his favorite seat at the window. ”There, sit down on my easy-chair and rest.”

”No, general, no; that would be disrespectful!”

”Fiddlesticks!” replied Blucher; ”an octogenarian is ent.i.tled to more respect than a general's epaulets are. Now do not refuse, but sit down!” And with his vigorous arms he pressed him into the easy- chair. He then quietly took his clay pipe from the window, and sat down on a cane chair opposite the old hussar. ”And now tell me the story of my arrest as a prisoner. I promise you that I will believe it all.”

”General, you may believe nothing but what is true,” replied the old man, solemnly.

Blucher nodded. ”Commence,” he said, ”but no--wait a while! There is John with the wine and the bread and b.u.t.ter. Now eat and drink first.”

”I cannot eat, for I am not hungry. But, if the general will permit me, I will drink a gla.s.s of wine.”

”Come, John, two gla.s.ses!--fill them to the brim! And now, my friend, let us drink. Here's to our native country!” Blucher filled his gla.s.s with claret; his eyes flashed, and his face kindled with the fire of youth, when he, the young septuagenarian, touched with his gla.s.s that of the feeble octogenarian. ”Hurrah, my old countryman,” he shouted, jubilantly, ”long live Mecklenburg! long live Rostock and the sh.o.r.e of the Baltic! Now empty your gla.s.s, my friend, and you, John, fill it again, and then put the wine and the bread and b.u.t.ter on the table beside the fireplace, that Christian may help himself. Eat and drink, Christian, but do not stir, or say a word, for we two old ones have to speak with each other. Now tell me the story, my old friend!”

”Well,” said the old man, putting down his empty gla.s.s, ”I had run away from my parents because I was just in the same difficulty as Christian: I did not wish to remain a day laborer. I also wanted to marry, and the n.o.bleman would not let me. Well, I ran away, and enlisted in Old Fritz's army, in Colonel Belling's regiment of hussars. It was in 1760; we had a great deal to do at that time; we were every day skirmis.h.i.+ng with the Swedes, for we were stationed in Mecklenburg, and the Swedes were so dreadfully bold as to make raids throughout Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. One day, I believe it was in August, 1760, just when we, Belling's hussars, occupied the towpath close to Friedland in Mecklenburg, another detachment of Swedish hussars approached to hara.s.s us. They were headed by a little ensign--a handsome young lad, scarcely twenty years of age, a very impertinent baby! And this young rascal rode closely to the old hussars, and commenced to crow in his sweet little voice, abusing us, and told us at last, if we were courageous enough, to come on; he had not had his breakfast, he said, and would like to swallow about a dozen of Belling's hussars. Well, the other hussars rejoiced in the pluck of the young fellow, and a handsome lad he was, with clear blue eyes and red cheeks. But his saucy taunts irritated me, and when the little ensign continued laughing, and telling us we were cowards, I became very angry, galloped up to him and shouted: 'Now, you little imp, I will kill you!'”

”Sure enough,” exclaimed Blucher, in surprise, ”that was what the hussar shouted. It seems to me as though I hear it still sounding in my ears. But none of the other hussars told me this; it is new, and it is true. Hennemann, could it be possible that you should really be the man who took me prisoner at that time?”

”Listen to the remainder of my story, general, and you will soon find out whether it was I or not. I galloped up to him, and while the Prussians and Swedes were fighting, I fixed my eyes on my merry little ensign; when I was quite close to him, I shot down his horse.

The ensign was unable then to offer much resistance, and, besides, I was a very strong, active man. I took him by the collar and put him on my horse in front of me.”

”And the ensign submitted to that without defending himself?” asked Blucher, angrily.

”By no means! On the contrary, he was as red in the face as a crawfish, and resisting struck me. I held his arms fast, but he disengaged himself with so violent a jerk that the yellow facings of his right sleeve remained in my hand.”

”That is true,” exclaimed Blucher.

”Yes, it is true,” said the old man, calmly; ”but it is true also that I got hold again of the ensign and took him to Colonel von Belling, to whom I stated that I had captured the handsome lad. The colonel liked his face and courageous bearing; he kept the Swedish ensign at his headquarters, where he appointed him cornet the next day, and made the little Ensign Blucher apply to the Swedes for permission to quit their service.”

”And I got my discharge,” exclaimed Blucher, quite absorbed in his reminiscences, ”and became a Prussian soldier. Good, brave Colonel Belling bought me the necessary equipment, and appointed me his aide-de-camp and lieutenant. The Lord have mercy on his dear soul!

Belling was an excellent man, and I am indebted to him for all I am.”

”No, general,” said Hennemann, ”it is to me that you are indebted, for if I had not taken you prisoner at that time--”

”Sure enough,” exclaimed Blucher, laughing, ”if you had not taken me prisoner, I should now be a poor old pensioned Swedish veteran. But you certainly took me prisoner, I really believe you did!”

”I have the proofs that I did,” said the old man solemnly.

”Christian!”