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WITH FREDERICK THE GREAT:
A Story of the Seven Years' War
by
G. A. HENTY.
Illustrated by Wal Paget
1910
Contents
Preface.
Chapter 1: King and Marshal.
Chapter 2: Joining.
Chapter 3: The Outbreak Of War.
Chapter 4: Promotion.
Chapter 5: Lobositz.
Chapter 6: A Prisoner.
Chapter 7: Flight.
Chapter 8: Prague.
Chapter 9: In Disguise.
Chapter 10: Rossbach.
Chapter 11: Leuthen.
Chapter 12: Another Step.
Chapter 13: Hochkirch.
Chapter 14: Breaking Prison.
Chapter 15: Escaped.
Chapter 16: At Minden.
Chapter 17: Unexpected News.
Chapter 18: Engaged.
Chapter 19: Liegnitz.
Chapter 20: Torgau.
Chapter 21: Home.
Illustrations
The king walked round Fergus as if he were examining a lay figure
Two of the newcomers fired hastily--and both missed
Not a blow was struck, horse and rider went down before them
As the man was placing his supper on the table, Fergus sprang
upon him
Fergus was received by the count, the countess and Thirza with
great pleasure
As Fergus was sallying out, a mounted officer dashed by at a
gallop
The roar of battle was so tremendous that his horse was well-nigh
unmanageable
Before he could extricate himself, Fergus was surrounded by
Austrians
"Why, Karl!" Fergus exclaimed, "where do you spring from--when
did you arrive?"
Lord Sackville stood without speaking, while the surgeon
bandaged up his arm
"Take her, Drummond, you have won your bride fairly and well"
As Fergus fell from his horse, Karl, who was riding behind
him, leapt from his saddle
Maps
Map showing battlefields of the Seven Years' War
Battle of Lobositz
Battle of Prague
Battle of Leuthen
Battle of Zorndorf
Battle of Hochkirch
Battle of Torgau
Preface.
[Map: Map showing battlefields of the Seven Years' War]
Among the great wars of history there are few, if any, instances of
so long and successfully sustained a struggle, against enormous
odds, as that of the Seven Years' War, maintained by Prussia--then
a small and comparatively insignificant kingdom--against Russia,
Austria, and France simultaneously, who were aided also by the
forces of most of the minor principalities of Germany. The
population of Prussia was not more than five millions, while that
of the Allies considerably exceeded a hundred millions. Prussia
could put, with the greatest efforts, but a hundred and fifty
thousand men into the field, and as these were exhausted she had
but small reserves to draw upon; while the Allies could, with
comparatively little difficulty, put five hundred thousand men into
the field, and replenish them as there was occasion. That the
struggle was successfully carried on, for seven years, was due
chiefly to the military genius of the king; to his indomitable
perseverance; and to a resolution that no disaster could shake, no
situation, although apparently hopeless, appall. Something was due
also, at the commencement of the war, to the splendid discipline of
the Prussian army at that time; but as comparatively few of those
who fought at Lobositz could have stood in the ranks at Torgau, the
quickness of the Prussian people to acquire military discipline
must have been great; and this was aided by the perfect confidence
they felt in their king, and the enthusiasm with which he inspired
them.
Although it was not, nominally, a war for religion, the
consequences were as great and important as those which arose from
the Thirty Years' War. Had Prussia been crushed and divided,
Protestantism would have disappeared in Germany, and the whole
course of subsequent events would have been changed. The war was
scarcely less important to Britain than to Prussia. Our close
connection with Hanover brought us into the fray; and the weakening
of France, by her efforts against Prussia, enabled us to wrest
Canada from her, to crush her rising power in India, and to obtain
that absolute supremacy at sea that we have never, since, lost. And
yet, while every school boy knows of the battles of ancient Greece,
not one in a hundred has any knowledge whatever of the momentous
struggle in Germany, or has ever as much as heard the names of the
memorable battles of Rossbach, Leuthen, Prague, Zorndorf,
Hochkirch, and Torgau. Carlyle's great work has done much to
familiarize older readers with the story; but its bulk, its
fullness of detail, and still more the peculiarity of Carlyle's
diction and style, place it altogether out of the category of books
that can be read and enjoyed by boys.
I have therefore endeavoured to give the outlines of the struggle,
for their benefit; but regret that, in a story so full of great
events, I have necessarily been obliged to devote a smaller share
than usual to the doings of my hero.
G. A. Henty.
Chapter 1: King and Marshal.
It was early in 1756 that a Scottish trader, from Edinburgh,
entered the port of Stettin. Among the few passengers was a tall
young Scotch lad, Fergus Drummond by name. Though scarcely sixteen,
he stood five feet ten in height; and it was evident, from his
broad shoulders and sinewy appearance, that his strength was in
full proportion to his height. His father had fallen at Culloden,
ten years before. The glens had been harried by Cumberland's
soldiers, and the estates confiscated. His mother had fled with him
to the hills; and had lived there, for some years, in the cottage
of a faithful clansman, whose wife had been her nurse. Fortunately,
they were sufficiently well off to be able to maintain their guests
in comfort; and indeed the presents of game, fish, and other
matters, frequently sent in by other members of the clan, had
enabled her to feel that her maintenance was no great burden on her
faithful friends.
For some years, she devoted herself to her son's education; and
then, through the influence of friends at court, she obtained the
grant of a small portion of her late husband's estates; and was
able to live in comfort, in a position more suited to her former
rank.
Fergus' life had been passed almost entirely in the open air.
Accompanied by one or two companions, sons of the clansmen, he
would start soon after daybreak and not return until sunset, when
they would often bring back a deer from the forests, or a heavy
creel of salmon or trout from the streams. His mother encouraged
him in these excursions, and also in the practice of arms. She
confined her lessons to the evening, and even after she settled on
her recovered farm of Kilgowrie, and obtained the services of a
tutor for him, she arranged that he should still be permitted to
pass the greater part of the day according to his own devices.
She herself was a cousin of the two brothers Keith; the one of
whom, then Lord Marischal, had proclaimed the Old Pretender king at
Edinburgh; and both of whom had attained very high rank abroad, the
younger Keith having served with great distinction in the Spanish
and Russian armies, and had then taken service under Frederick the
Great, from whom he had received the rank of field marshal, and was
the king's greatest counsellor and friend. His brother had joined
him there, and stood equally high in the king's favour. Although
both were devoted Jacobites, and had risked all, at the first
rising in favour of the Old Pretender, neither had taken part in
that of Charles Edward, seeing that it was doomed to failure. After
Culloden, James Keith, the field marshal, had written to his
cousin, Mrs. Drummond, as follows:
"Dear Cousin,
"I have heard with grief from Alexander Grahame, who has come over
here to escape the troubles, of the grievous loss that has befallen
you. He tells me that, when in hiding among the mountains, he
learned that you had, with your boy, taken refuge with Ian the
forester, whom I well remember when I was last staying with your
good husband, Sir John. He also said that your estates had been
confiscated, but that he was sure you would be well cared for by
your clansmen. Grahame told me that he stayed with you for a few
hours, while he was flying from Cumberland's bloodhounds; and that
you told him you intended to remain there, and to devote yourself
to the boy's education, until better times came.
"I doubt not that ere long, when the hot blood that has been
stirred up by this rising has cooled down somewhat, milder measures
will be used, and some mercy be shown; but it may be long, for the
Hanoverian has been badly frightened, and the Whigs throughout the
country greatly scared, and this for the second time. I am no lover
of the usurper, but I cannot agree with all that has been said
about the severity of the punishment that has been dealt out. I
have been fighting all over Europe, and I know of no country where
a heavy reckoning would not have been made, after so serious an
insurrection. Men who take up arms against a king know that they
are staking their lives; but after vengeance comes pardon, and the
desire to heal wounds, and I trust that you will get some portion
of your estate again.
"It is early yet to think of what you are going to make of the boy,
but I am sure you will not want to see him fighting in the
Hanoverian uniform. So, if he has a taste for adventure let him,
when the time comes, make his way out to me; or if I should be
under the sod by that time, let him go to my brother. There will,
methinks, be no difficulty in finding out where we are, for there
are so many Scotch abroad that news of us must often come home.
However, from time to time I will write to you. Do not expect to
hear too often, for I spend far more time in the saddle than at my
table, and my fingers are more accustomed to grasp a sword than a
pen. However, be sure that wherever I may be, I shall be glad to
see your son, and to do my best for him.
"See that he is not brought up at your apron string, but is well
trained in all exercises; for we Scots have gained a great name for
strength and muscle, and I would not that one of my kin should fall
short of the mark."
Maggie Drummond had been much pleased with her kinsman's letter.
There were few Scotchmen who stood higher in the regard of their
countrymen, and the two Keiths had also a European reputation. Her
husband, and many other fiery spirits, had expressed surprise and
even indignation that the brothers, who had taken so prominent a
part in the first rising, should not have hastened to join Prince
Charlie; but the more thoughtful men felt it was a bad omen that
they did not do so. It was certainly not from any want of
adventurous spirit, or of courage, for wherever adventures were to
be obtained, wherever blows were most plentiful, James Keith and
his brother were certain to be in the midst of them.
But Maggie Drummond knew the reason for their holding aloof; for
she had, shortly before the coming over of Prince Charlie, received
a short note from the field marshal:
"They say that Prince Charles Edward is meditating a mad scheme of
crossing to Scotland, and raising his standard there. If so, do
what you can to prevent your husband from joining him. We made but
a poor hand of it, last time; and the chances of success are vastly
smaller now. Then it was but a comparatively short time since the
Stuarts had lost the throne of England, and there were great
numbers who wished them back. Now the Hanoverian is very much more
firmly seated on the throne. The present man has a considerable
army, and the troops have had experience of war on the Continent,
and have shown themselves rare soldiers. Were not my brother Lord
Marischal of Scotland, and my name somewhat widely known, I should
not hang back from the adventure, however desperate; but our
example might lead many who might otherwise stand aloof to take up
arms, which would bring, I think, sure destruction upon them.
Therefore we shall restrain our own inclinations, and shall watch
what I feel sure will be a terrible tragedy, from a distance;
striking perhaps somewhat heavier blows than usual upon the heads
of Turks, Moors, Frenchmen, and others, to make up for our not
being able to use our swords where our inclinations would lead us.
"The King of France will assuredly give no efficient aid to the
Stuarts. He has all along used them as puppets, by whose means he
can, when he chooses, annoy or coerce England. But I have no belief
that he will render any useful aid, either now or hereafter.
"Use then, cousin, all your influence to keep Drummond at home.
Knowing him as I do, I have no great hope that it will avail; for I
know that he is Jacobite to the backbone, and that, if the Prince
lands, he will be one of the first to join him."
Maggie had not carried out Keith's injunction. She had indeed told
her husband, when she received the letter, that Keith believed the
enterprise to be so hopeless a one that he should not join in it.
But she was as ardent in the cause of the Stuarts as was her
husband, and said no single word to deter him when, an hour after
he heard the news of the prince's landing, he mounted and rode off
to meet him, and to assure him that he would bring every man of his
following to the spot where his adherents were to assemble. From
time to time his widow had continued to write to Keith; though,
owing to his being continually engaged on campaigns against the
Turks and Tartars, he received but two or three of her letters, so
long as he remained in the service of Russia. When, however, he
displeased the Empress Elizabeth, and at once left the service and
entered that of Prussia, her letters again reached him.
The connection between France and Scotland had always been close,
and French was a language familiar to most of the upper class; and
since the civil troubles began, such numbers of Scottish gentlemen
were forced either to shelter in France, or to take service in the
French or other foreign armies, that a knowledge of the language
became almost a matter of necessity. In one of his short letters
Keith had told her that, of all things, it was necessary that the
lad should speak French with perfect fluency, and master as much
German as possible. And it was to these points that his education
had been almost entirely directed.
As to French there was no difficulty and, when she recovered a
portion of the estate, Maggie Drummond was lucky in hearing of a
Hanoverian trooper who, having been wounded and left behind in
Glasgow, his term of service having expired, had on his recovery
married the daughter of the woman who had nursed him. He was
earning a somewhat precarious living by giving lessons in the use
of the rapier, and in teaching German; and gladly accepted the
offer to move out to Kilgowrie, where he was established in a
cottage close to the house, where his wife aided in the housework.
He became a companion of Fergus in his walks and rambles and, being
an honest and pleasant fellow, the lad took to him; and after a few
months their conversation, at first somewhat disjointed, became
easy and animated. He learned, too, much from him as to the use of
his sword. The Scotch clansmen used their claymores chiefly for
striking; but under Rudolph's tuition the lad came to be as apt
with the point as he had before been with the edge, and fully
recognized the great advantages of the former. By the time he
reached the age of sixteen, his skill with the weapon was fully
recognized by the young clansmen who, on occasions of festive
gatherings, sometimes came up to try their skill with the young
laird.
From Rudolph, too, he came to know a great deal of the affairs of
Europe, as to which he had hitherto been profoundly ignorant. He
learned how, by the capture of the province of Silesia from the
Empress of Austria, the King of Prussia had, from a minor
principality, raised his country to a considerable power, and was
regarded with hostility and jealousy by all his neighbours.
"But it is only a small territory now, Rudolph," Fergus said.
"'Tis small, Master Fergus, but the position is a very strong one.
Silesia cannot well be invaded, save by an army forcing its way
through very formidable defiles; while on the other hand, the
Prussian forces can suddenly pour out into Saxony or Hanover.
Prussia has perhaps the best-drilled army in Europe, and though its
numbers are small in proportion to those which Austria can put in
the field, they are a compact force; while the Austrian army is
made up of many peoples, and could not be gathered with the speed
with which Frederick could place his force in the field.
"The king, too, is himself, above all things, a soldier. He has
good generals, and his troops are devoted to him, though the
discipline is terribly strict. It is a pity that he and the King of
England are not good friends. They are natural allies, both
countries being Protestant; and to say the truth, we in Hanover
should be well pleased to see them make common cause together, and
should feel much more comfortable with Prussia as our friend than
as a possible enemy.
"However, 'tis not likely that, at present, Prussia will turn her
hand against us. I hear, by letters from home, that it is said that
the Empress of Russia, as well as the Empress of Austria, both hate
Frederick; the latter because he has stolen Silesia from her; the
former because he has openly said things about her such as a woman
never forgives. Saxony and Poland are jealous of him, and France
none too well disposed. So at present the King of Prussia is like
to leave his neighbours alone; for he may need to draw his sword,
at any time, in self defence."
It was but a few days after this that Maggie Drummond received this
short letter from her cousin, Marshal James Keith:
"My dear Cousin,
"By your letter, received a few days since, I learned that Fergus
is now nearly sixteen years old; and is, you say, as well grown and
strong as many lads two or three years older. Therefore it is as
well that you should send him off to me, at once. There are signs
in the air that we shall shortly have stirring times, and the
sooner he is here the better. I would send money for his outfit;
but as your letter tells me that you have, by your economies, saved
a sum ample for this purpose, I abstain from doing so. Let him come
straight to Berlin, and inquire for me at the palace. I have a
suite of apartments there; and he could not have a better time for
entering upon military service; nor a better master than the king,
who loves his Scotchmen, and under whom he is like to find
opportunity to distinguish himself."
A week later, Fergus started. It needed an heroic effort, on the
part of his mother, to let him go from her; but she had, all along,
recognized that it was for the best that he should leave her. That
he should grow up as a petty laird, where his ancestors had been
the owners of wide estates, and were powerful chiefs with a large
following of clansmen and retainers, was not to be thought of.
Scotland offered few openings, especially to those belonging to
Jacobite families; and it was therefore deemed the natural course,
for a young man of spirit, to seek his fortune abroad and, from the
days of the Union, there was scarcely a foreign army that did not
contain a considerable contingent of Scottish soldiers and
officers. They formed nearly a third of the army of Gustavus
Adolphus, and the service of the Protestant princes of Germany had
always been popular among them.
Then, her own cousin being a marshal in the Prussian army, it
seemed to Mrs. Drummond almost a matter of course, when the time
came, that Fergus should go to him; and she had, for many years,
devoted herself to preparing the lad for that service. Nevertheless,
now that the time had come, she felt the parting no less sorely; but
she bore up well, and the sudden notice kept her fully occupied with
preparations, till the hour came for his departure.
Two of the men rode with him as far as Leith, and saw him on board
ship. Rudolph had volunteered to accompany him as servant, but his
mother had said to the lad:
"It would be better not, Fergus. Of course you will have a soldier
servant, there, and there might be difficulties in having a
civilian with you."
It was, however, arranged that Rudolph should become a member of
the household. Being a handy fellow, a fair carpenter, and ready to
turn his hand to anything, there would be no difficulty in making
him useful about the farm.
Fergus had learnt, from him, the price at which he ought to be able
to buy a useful horse; and his first step, after landing at Stettin
and taking up his quarters at an inn, was to inquire the address of
a horse dealer. The latter found, somewhat to his surprise, that
the young Scot was a fair judge of a horse, and a close hand at
driving a bargain; and when he left, the lad had the satisfaction
of knowing that he was the possessor of a serviceable animal, and
one which, by its looks, would do him no discredit.
Three days later he rode into Berlin. He dismounted at a quiet inn,
changed his travelling dress for the new one that he carried in his
valise, and then, after inquiring for the palace, made his way
there.
He was struck by the number of soldiers in the streets, and with
the neatness, and indeed almost stiffness, of their uniform and
bearing. Each man walked as if on parade, and the eye of the
strictest martinet could not have detected a speck of dust on their
equipment, or an ill-adjusted strap or buckle.
"I hope they do not brace and tie up their officers in that style,"
Fergus said to himself.
He himself had always been accustomed to a loose and easy attire,
suitable for mountain work; and the high cravats and stiff collars,
powdered heads and pigtails, and tight-fitting garments, seemed to
him the acme of discomfort. It was not long, however, before he
came upon a group of officers, and saw that the military etiquette
was no less strict, in their case, than in that of the soldiers,
save that their collars were less high, and their stocks more easy.
Their walk, too, was somewhat less automatic and machine-like, but
they were certainly in strong contrast to the British officers he
had seen, on the occasions of his one or two visits to Perth.
On reaching the palace, and saying that he wished to see Marshal
Keith, he was conducted by a soldier to his apartment; and on the
former taking in the youth's name, he was at once admitted. The
marshal rose from his chair, came forward, and shook him heartily
by the hand.
"So you are Fergus Drummond," he said, "the son of my cousin
Maggie! Truly she lost no time in sending you off, after she got my
letter. I was afraid she might be long before she could bring
herself to part from you."
"She had made up her mind to it so long, sir, that she was prepared
for it; and indeed, I think that she did her best to hurry me off
as soon as possible, not only because your letter was somewhat
urgent, but because it gave her less time to think."
"That was right and sensible, lad, as indeed Maggie always was,
from a child.
"She did not speak too strongly about you, for indeed I should have
taken you for fully two years older than you are. You have lost no
time in growing, lad, and if you lose no more in climbing, you will
not be long before you are well up the tree.
"Now, sit you down, and let me first hear all about your mother,
and how she fares."
"In the first place, sir, she charged me to give you her love and
affection, and to thank you for your good remembrance of her, and
for writing to her so often, when you must have had so many other
matters on your mind."
"I was right glad when I heard that they had given her back
Kilgowrie. It is but a corner of your father's lands; but I
remember the old house well, going over there once, when I was
staying with your grandfather, to see his mother, who was then
living there. How much land goes with it?"
"About a thousand acres, but the greater part is moor and mountain.
Still, the land suffices for her to live on, seeing that she keeps
up no show, and lives as quietly as if she had never known anything
better."
"Aye, she was ever of a contented spirit. I mind her, when she was
a tiny child; if no one would play with her, she would sit by the
hour talking with her dolls, till someone could spare time to perch
her on his shoulder, and take her out."
Marshal Keith was a tall man, with a face thoughtful in repose, but
having a pleasant smile, and an eye that lit up with quiet humour
when he spoke. He enjoyed the king's confidence to the fullest
extent, and was regarded by him not only as a general in whose
sagacity and skill he could entirely rely, but as one on whose
opinion he could trust upon all political questions. He was his
favourite companion when, as happened not unfrequently, he donned a
disguise and went about the town, listening to the talk of the
citizens and learning their opinions upon public affairs.
"I have spoken to the king about your coming, lad, and told him
that you were a kinsman of mine.
"'Indeed, marshal,' the king said, 'from what I can see, it appears
to me that all Scotchmen are more or less kin to each other.'
"'It is so to some extent, your majesty. We Scotchmen pride
ourselves on genealogy, and know every marriage that has taken
place, for ages past, between the members of our family and those
of others; and claim as kin, even though very distant, all those
who have any of our blood running in their veins. But in this case
the kinship is close, the lad's mother being a first cousin of
mine. His father was killed at Culloden, and I promised her, as
soon as the news came to me, that when he had grown up strong and
hearty he should join me, wherever I might be, and should have a
chance of making his fortune by his sword.'
"'You say that he speaks both French and German well? It is more
than I can do,' the king said with a laugh. 'German born and German
king as I am, I get on but badly when I try my native tongue, for
from a child I have spoken nothing but French. Still, it is well
that he should know the language. In my case it matters but little,
seeing that all my court and all my generals speak French. But one
who has to give orders to soldiers should be understood by them.
"'Well, what do you want me to do for the lad?'
"'I propose to make him one of my own aides-de-camp,' I replied,
'and therefore I care not so much to what regiment he is appointed;
though I own that I would far rather see him in the uniform of the
guards, than any other.'
"'You are modest, marshal; but I observe that it is a common fault
among your countrymen. Well, which shall it be--infantry or
cavalry?'
"'Cavalry, since you are good enough to give me the choice, sire.
The uniform looks better, for an aide-de-camp, than that of the
infantry.'
"'Very well, then, you may consider him gazetted as a cornet, in my
third regiment of Guards. You have no more kinsmen coming at
present, Keith?'
"'No, sire; not at present.'
"'If many more come, I shall form them into a separate regiment.'
"'Your majesty might do worse,' I said.
"The king nodded. 'I wish I had half a dozen Scotch regiments; aye,
a score or two. They were the cream of the army of Gustavus
Adolphus, and if matters turn out as I fear they will, it would be
a welcome reinforcement.'
"I will give you a note presently," continued the marshal, "to a
man who makes my uniforms, so that I may present you to the king,
as soon as you are enrolled. You must remember that your favour, or
otherwise, with him will depend very largely upon the fit of your
uniform, and the manner in which you carry yourself. There is
nothing so unpardonable, in his eyes, as a slovenly and ill-fitting
dress. Everything must be correct, to a nicety, under all
circumstances. Even during hot campaigns, you must turn out in the
morning as if you came from a band box.
"I will get Colonel Grunow, who commands your regiment, to tell off
an old trooper, one who is thoroughly up to his work, as your
servant. I doubt not that he may be even able to find you a
Scotchman, for there are many in the ranks--gentlemen who came over
after Culloden, and hundreds of brave fellows who escaped
Cumberland's harryings by taking ship and coming over here, where,
as they supposed, they would fight under a Protestant king."
"But the king is a Protestant, is he not, sir?"
"He is nominally a Protestant, Fergus. Absolutely, his majesty has
so many things to see about that he does not trouble himself
greatly about religion. I should say that he was a disciple of
Voltaire, until Voltaire came here; when, upon acquaintance, he saw
through the vanity of the little Frenchman, and has been much less
enthusiastic about him since.
"By the way, how did you come here?"
"We heard of a ship sailing for Stettin, and that hurried my
departure by some days. I made a good voyage there, and on landing
bought a horse and rode here."
"Well, I am afraid your horse won't do to carry one of my
aides-de-camp, so you had best dispose of it, for what it will
fetch. I will mount you myself. His majesty was pleased to give me
two horses, the other day, and my stable is therefore over full.
"Now, Fergus, we will drink a goblet of wine to your new
appointment, and success to your career."
"From what you said in your letter to my mother, sir, you think it
likely that we shall see service, before long?"
"Aye, lad, and desperate service, too. We have--but mind, this must
go no further--sure news that Russia, Austria, France, and Saxony
have formed a secret league against Prussia, and that they intend
to crush us first, and then partition the kingdom among themselves.
The Empress of Austria has shamelessly denied that any such treaty
exists, but tomorrow morning a messenger will start, with a demand
from the king that the treaty shall be publicly acknowledged and
then broken off, or that he will at once proclaim war. If we say
nine days for the journey there, nine days to return, and three
days waiting for the answer, you see that in three weeks from the
present we may be on the move, for our only chance depends upon
striking a heavy blow before they are ready. We have not wasted our
time. The king has already made an alliance with England."
"But England has no troops, or scarcely any," Fergus said.
"No, lad, but she has what is of quite as much importance in
war--namely, money, and she can grant us a large subsidy. The
king's interest in the matter is almost as great as ours. He is a
Hanoverian more than an Englishman, and you may be sure that, if
Prussia were to be crushed, the allies would make but a single bite
of Hanover. You see, this will be a war of life and death to us,
and the fighting will be hard and long."
"But what grievance has France against the king?"
"His majesty is open spoken, and no respecter of persons; and a
woman may forgive an injury, but never a scornful gibe. It is this
that has brought both France and Russia on him. Madame Pompadour,
who is all powerful, hates Frederick for having made disrespectful
remarks concerning her. The Empress of Russia detests him, for the
same reason. She of Austria has a better cause, for she has never
forgiven the loss of Silesia; and it is the enmity of these women,
as much as the desire to partition Prussia, that is about to plunge
Europe into a war to the full as terrible as that of the thirty
years."
Keith now rung a bell, and a soldier entered.
"Tell Lieutenant Lindsay that I wish to speak to him."
A minute later an officer entered the room, and saluted stiffly.
"Lindsay, this is a young cousin of mine, Fergus Drummond. The king
has appointed him to a cornetcy in the 3rd Royal Dragoon Guards,
but he is going to be one of my aides-de-camp. Now that things are
beginning to move, you and Gordon will need help.
"Take him first to Tautz. I have written a note to the man, telling
him that he must hurry everything on. There is still a spare room
on your corridor, is there not? Get your man to see his things
bestowed there. I shall get his appointment this evening, I expect,
but it will be a day or two before he will be able to get a soldier
from his regiment. He has a horse to sell, and various other
matters to see to. At any rate, look after him, till tomorrow. 'Tis
my hour to go to the king."
Lindsay was a young man of two or three and twenty. He had a merry,
joyous face, a fine figure, and a good carriage; but until he and
Fergus were beyond the limits of the palace, he walked by the lad's
side with scarce a word. When once past the entrance, however, he
gave a sigh of relief.
"Now, Drummond," he said, "we will shake hands, and begin to make
each other's acquaintance. First, I am Nigel Lindsay, very much at
your service. On duty I am another person altogether, scarcely
recognizable even by myself--a sort of wooden machine, ready, when
a button is touched, to bring my heels smartly together, and my
hand to the salute. There is something in the air that stiffens
one's backbone, and freezes one from the tip of one's toes to the
end of one's pigtail. When one is with the marshal alone, one
thaws; for there is no better fellow living, and he chats to us as
if we were on a mountain side in Scotland, instead of in
Frederick's palace. But one is always being interrupted; either a
general, or a colonel, or possibly the king himself, comes in.
"For the time, one becomes a military statue; and even when they
go, it is difficult to take up the talk as it was left. Oh, it is
wearisome work, and heartily glad I shall be, when the trumpets
blow and we march out of Berlin. However, we are beginning to be
pretty busy. I have been on horseback, twelve hours a day on an
average, for the past week. Gordon started yesterday for Magdeburg,
and Macgregor has been two days absent, but I don't know where.
Everyone is busy, from the king himself--who is always busy about
something--to the youngest drummer. Nobody outside a small circle
knows what it is all about. Apparently we are in a state of
profound peace, without a cloud in the sky, and yet the military
preparations are going on actively, everywhere.
"Convoys of provisions are being sent to the frontier fortresses.
Troops are in movement from the Northern Provinces. Drilling is
going on--I was going to say night and day, for it is pretty nearly
that--and no one can make out what it is all about.
"There is one thing--no one asks questions. His majesty thinks for
his subjects, and as he certainly is the cleverest man in his
dominions, everyone is well content that it should be so.
"And now, about yourself. I am running on and talking nonsense,
when I have all sorts of questions to ask you. But that is always
the way with me. I am like a bottle of champagne, corked down while
I am in the palace, and directly I get away the cork flies out by
itself, and for a minute or two it is all froth and emptiness.
"Now, when did you arrive, how did you arrive, what is the last
news from Scotland, which of the branches of the Drummonds do you
belong to, and how near of kin are you to the marshal? Oh, by the
way, I ought to know the last without asking; as you are a
Drummond, and a relation of Keith, you can be no other than the son
of the Drummond of Tarbet, who married Margaret Ogilvie, who was a
first cousin of Keith's."
"That is right," Fergus said. "My father fell at Culloden, you
know. As to all your other questions, they are answered easily
enough. I know very little of the news in Scotland, for my mother
lived a very secluded life at Kilgowrie, and little news came to us
from without. I came from Leith to Stettin, and there I bought a
horse and rode on here."
His companion laughed.
"And how about yourself? I suppose you know nothing of this beastly
language?"
"Yes; I can speak it pretty fluently, and of course know French."
"I congratulate you, though how you learnt it, up in the hills, I
know not. I did not know a word of it, when I came out two years
ago; and it is always on my mind, for of course I have a master
who, when I am not otherwise engaged, comes to me for an hour a
day, and well nigh maddens me with his crack-jaw words; but I don't
seem to make much progress. If I am sent with an order, and the
officer to whom I take it does not understand French, I am floored.
Of course I hand the order, if it is a written one, to him. If it
is not, but just some verbal message, asking him to call on the
marshal at such and such a time, I generally make a horrible mess
of it. He gets in a rage with me, because he cannot understand me.
I get in a rage with him, for his dulness; and were it not that he
generally manages to find some other officer, who does understand
French, the chances are very strongly against Keith's message being
attended to.
"First of all, I will take you to our quarters. That is the house."
"Why, I thought you lodged in the palace?"
"Heaven forbid! Macgregor has a room in the chief's suite of apartments.
He is senior aide-de-camp, and if there is any message to be sent late,
he takes it; but that is not often the case. Gordon lodges here with
me. The house is a sort of branch establishment to the palace. Malcolm
Menzies and Horace Farquhar, two junior aides of the king, are in the
same corridor with us. Of course we make up a party by ourselves. Then
there are ten or twelve German officers--some of them aides-de-camp
of the Princes Maurice and Henry, the Prince of Bevern and General
Schwerin--besides a score or so of palace officials.
"Fortunately the Scotch corridor, as we call it, has a separate
entrance, so we can go in or out without disturbing anyone. It is a
good thing, for in fact we and the Prussians do not get on very
well together. They have a sort of jealousy of us; which is, I
suppose, natural enough. Foreigners are never favourites, and
George's Hanoverian officers are not greatly loved in London. I
expect a campaign will do good, that way. They will see, at any
rate, that we don't take our pay for nothing, and are ready to do a
full share and more of fighting; while we shall find that these
stiff pipe-clayed figures are brave fellows, and good comrades,
when they get a little of the starch washed out of them.
"Now, this is my room, and I see my man has got dinner ready."