As soon as the bandage was applied and the flow of blood ceased, a
few spoonfuls of wine were poured down the patient's throat. It was
not long before he opened his eyes and struggled into a sitting
position.
"I beg pardon, sir," he said faintly, as his eyes fell on the
marshal, who was standing just in front of him. "I am sorry that I
came into your apartments in this state, but it seemed to me--"
"You did quite right, sir," said a sharp voice that he at once
recognized, while the speaker put his hand upon his shoulder, to
prevent him from trying to rise. "You were quite right to bring the
news here at once of this outrage; which, by heavens, shall be
punished as it deserves. Now drink a cup of wine, and then perhaps
you will be able to tell us a little more about it. Now don't be in
a hurry, but obey my orders."
Fergus drank off the wine; then, after waiting a minute or two,
said:
"Count Eulenfurst is sorely wounded, sire, but I cannot say whether
mortally or not. When I came away, he was still lying insensible.
His wife and daughter are, happily, uninjured."
"Was anyone else hurt?"
"Yes, sire, the six menservants who were sleeping in the house were
all killed--four in their beds, two while hastening from below to
assist their master."
The king gave an exclamation of fury.
"You said these men belonged to a Pomeranian regiment. Had they
left before you got there? But I suppose not, or else you would not
have been wounded. How was it that you heard of the attack?"
"I had carried a despatch from the marshal to the camp, sire, and
was on my way back when I heard a pistol shot. The sound was faint,
for it came from a house a quarter of a mile away, and was fired
indoors; but the night was still, and fortunately some of the
windows were open. Thinking that some evil work was being done, I
rode straight for it, climbed the wall and, making my way on foot
to the house, happily arrived in time."
"You saw the fellows, then? How was it that they suffered you to
escape with your life? They must have known that your evidence
would hang them all."
"There were but six of them, sire; and they will need no hanging,
for they are all disposed of. Though had it not been for the
assistance of a brave servant maid, who threw herself upon the back
of one of them, my career would certainly have been terminated."
"But who had you with you to help you?" the king asked.
"I had no one but the maid, sire."
"Do you mean to say, Mr. Drummond, that with your own hand you slew
the whole of the six villains?"
"That was so, sire; but in respect to the one thrown down by the
girl, I had but to blow out his brains before he could gain his
feet."
"Can you give us the particulars?" the king asked quietly. "If you
do not feel equal to it, we will wait till morning."
"I can tell you now, sire. I am feeling better and stronger."
And he related the incidents of the fight.
"One with his pistol, Keith," the king said. "Four with his sword,
after his left hand was disabled, to say nothing of the sixth.
"That is not a bad beginning for this aide-de-camp, gentlemen."
"No, indeed, sire. It is a most gallant deed, though it was well
for him that he was able to dispose of the first three before the
others appeared on the scene."
"It was a most gallant action, indeed," the king repeated; and a
hearty assent was given by the general officers standing round.
"I congratulate you on your aide-de-camp, Keith," he went on. "A
man capable of killing, single handed, six of my Pomeranians is a
treasure. Do you see that his commission as lieutenant is given me
tomorrow to sign.
"No, sit still, young sir. It is I who have to thank you, for so
promptly punishing these marauders, who would have brought disgrace
upon my army; and not you who have to thank me. Now, be off to your
bed."
Two of the attendants were called in, and these assisted Fergus,
who was almost too weak to stand, to the apartment that he shared
with Lindsay. Keith himself accompanied them. Lindsay leapt out of
bed as they entered.
"Don't ask any questions, Lindsay," the marshal said. "Drummond has
performed a very gallant action, and has been wounded and, as you
see, can scarce stand from loss of blood. He will be asleep as soon
as he lies down. You will hear all about it, in the morning."
The marshal then returned to his apartment. The king was on the
point of leaving.
"I have left orders," he said, "that as soon as either of the
surgeons returns, I am to be wakened and informed of the state of
Count Eulenfurst. He is a nobleman of distinction and character;
though, I believe, in no great favour at the court here since he
resigned his seat on the council, because he disapproved of the
resources of the state being wasted in extravagance, instead of
being spent in maintaining the army in proper condition. Should he
die, it will cause an extremely bad impression throughout Saxony."
At daybreak the next morning, finding that the surgeons had not
returned, Keith despatched an officer to request them to furnish
him, at once, with a written report of the state of the count. He
returned in three-quarters of an hour, saying that the count had
just recovered consciousness; that two of his wounds were serious,
and the other very grave; but that having probed it, they were of
opinion that it might not prove fatal. The countess was completely
prostrated, and had gone from one fainting fit into another, and
required more attention than her husband. The rest of the household
were uninjured.
Lindsay got up quietly and dressed without awaking Fergus. He was
disappointed at a despatch being at once handed to him to carry to
the Prince of Brunswick's army, which was ten miles away; and was
therefore obliged to mount and ride off, without obtaining any news
whatever as to the nature of Drummond's adventure. As he passed
through the camp of the Pomeranians, he saw the bodies of six
soldiers swinging from the bough of a tree, close to the camp. He
rode a little out of his way to discover the cause of this strange
spectacle. In front of them was erected a large placard of canvas,
with the words painted upon it:
"Marauders killed in the commission of crime, and their bodies hung
by order of the king, as a lesson to anyone who ventures to break
the law against plundering."
Then he rode on his way, and did not return until one o'clock. The
marshal was occupied. He therefore simply handed in the reply to
the despatch that he had carried, and immediately retired.
"Is Mr. Drummond up?" he asked one of the attendants.
"He is still in his room, sir. His servant is with him, and he is
taking food."
He went straight to the room. Fergus was sitting up in a chair,
eating a basin of strong chicken broth.
"This is a nice hour to be breakfasting, Lindsay," he said with a
smile. "I feel quite ashamed of myself, I can tell you; but I am
under orders. The doctor came here half an hour ago. I had just
woke and got out of bed, and was going to dress, when he told me
that I was not to do so. I might sit up to take breakfast, but was
to keep perfectly quiet for the rest of the day. He said I only
needed feeding up, that he would send me some strong broth, and
three hours later I was to have some soup and a pint of Burgundy;
and that if I obeyed his instructions, and ate and drank well, I
should be able to leave my room tomorrow; though of course, I
should not be fit for active service till my arm began to heal."
"But what is it all about, Drummond? I was sent off to Brunswick's
camp, as soon as I got up, and have heard nothing about it; and the
marshal forbade me to speak to you, when you were brought in last
night. He merely said that you had done a very gallant action."
"There was nothing very gallant in it, Lindsay; but it turned out
very fortunate."
Then he gave a very brief account of the previous evening's events.
"Well I should call that a gallant action, Drummond, if you don't.
It is no joke for one man to tackle six, and those not ordinary
marauders but Pomeranian soldiers. Of course, it was somewhat lucky
that you had rid yourself of three of them, before the other three
entered the room; and had it not been, as you say, for that girl,
things might have turned out differently. Still, that does not
affect the matter. It was a gallant business.
"What happened when you came in?"
"I don't know much about what happened. At first I made some sort
of report to the marshal, and then I believe I fainted. When I came
to, I found that they had bandaged up my shoulder, and poured some
wine down my throat. I felt very shaky at first, but I know that I
drank some wine, and was then able to give some sort of account of
what had happened. The king was there, then, and asked me
questions; but whether or not he was there, at first, I cannot say.
I have a vague idea that he told the marshal, too, that he promoted
me; but I am not quite sure about that, nor do I know how I got
here."
"Well, if you are not mistaken about your step, I congratulate you
most heartily. It is seldom, indeed, that anyone gains one in six
weeks after his first appointment. I thought myself lucky, indeed,
in getting it after serving only two years and a half; but I got it
simply on nomination as one of the marshal's aides-de-camp. It is
customary to get promotion, on such appointment, if there has been
two or three years' previous service.
"Well, you have drawn the first blood in this campaign, Drummond;
and have not been long in giving very striking proof that your
month's hard work in the fencing school has not been thrown away."
The conversation was broken off by the entry of the marshal,
himself.
"Pooh, pooh, Fergus!" he said, as the latter rose, "there is no
occasion for saluting in a bedroom. I am glad to see you looking so
much better. You could not have looked more ghastly, when you came
in yesterday evening, if you had been your own wraith.
"There, lad," he said, handing him a parchment. "It is not usual to
have a new commission on promotion, but the king told me that he
had had it done, in the present case, in order that you might have
a record of the exploit for which you have been promoted. You will
see it is set down inside that, although but six weeks in service,
you were promoted to the rank of lieutenant for a deed of
extraordinary gallantry. You had attacked and killed, with your own
hand, six marauding soldiers; who had entered the chateau of Count
Eulenfurst, well-nigh murdered the count, killed six of his
servants, and were occupied in plundering the house. In token of
his thankfulness, that the life of so distinguished and enlightened
a nobleman had been saved by you; as well as of approbation for the
gallantry of your conduct, his majesty promoted you to the rank of
lieutenant.
"You should keep that paper, Fergus, and pass it down to your
descendants, as an heirloom. I congratulate you, my boy, with all
my heart; and feel some satisfaction on my own account, for such an
action as this shows those who are inclined to grumble, at what
they may consider the favour shown to Scotchmen, that at any rate
the favour is not misplaced. A general order to the army has been
issued this morning saying that, some scoundrels, having disgraced
their uniform and brought discredit upon the army, by a murderous
and wicked attack upon the house of Count Eulenfurst, the king
reiterates and confirms his previous order that any man caught when
engaged in pillaging, or upon whose person any stolen goods are
found, will be summarily hung by the provost marshal, or by any
general officer before whom he may be brought.
"The king himself has ridden to the count's chateau, this morning,
to make personal inquiries into his state, and to express his deep
regret at the outrage that has taken place. It is a politic action,
as well as a kind one. Of course, the event has occasioned great
excitement in the city."
"And may I ask how the count is going on, sir?"
"The last report of the surgeons is a favourable one. He has partly
recovered consciousness, and at any rate recognizes his daughter,
who has divided her time between his bedside and her mother's. The
latter has fallen into a deep sleep of exhaustion; but will, I
doubt not, recover. The girl came down into the hall when the king
called. She bore herself well, they tell me, and would have
retained her composure, had it not been for the king himself. She
came down the grand staircase, with four of her maids behind
her--for a notice had been sent, half an hour before of his
coming--prepared, no doubt, to meet a stiff and haughty king; but
though Frederick can be every inch a king, when he chooses, there
is, as you know, no kinder-hearted man alive.
"He went forward bare-headed to meet her and, as she stopped and
curtsied low, he took her two hands and said:
"'My poor child, I am sorry, more sorry than I can tell you, for
what has happened; and hope with all my heart that your father,
whom all respect and honour, will not be taken from you. No doubt
you look upon me as an enemy; but although compelled to come here,
because your king is leagued with those who intend to destroy me
and my country, I bear no ill will to the people; and have given
the strictest orders that my soldiers shall, in all respects, treat
them as firm friends. But unfortunately, there are scoundrels
everywhere. These men have been punished as they deserved, and the
whole army will join with me in deep regret at what has happened,
and in the fervent hope that your father's life will be spared. I
grieve, too, to hear that the countess, your mother, has suffered
so greatly from the shock; and hope soon to be able to express to
her, in person, the regret I feel for what has taken place.'
"The kindness of his tone, in saying all this, broke her down more
than the words of the king. He saw that she was unable to speak.
"'There, there, child,' he said. 'I know what you are feeling, and
that you are longing to go upstairs again, so I will say goodbye.
Keep up a brave heart. The surgeons have every hope that your
father will recover. And believe that you will always have a friend
in Frederick of Prussia.'
"He kissed her on the cheek, and then turned and left the hall,
followed by his staff."
Three days later the doctors were able to say confidently that,
unless some change occurred for the worse, they believed the count
would recover. On the fourth day, Fergus was sufficiently well to
mount his horse. The countess and her daughter had repeatedly asked
after him, and expressed their desire that he would come over, as
soon as he was well enough to do so.
One of the aides-de-camp had gone over, twice a day, to inquire as
to the progress the count was making. A guard had been placed at
the gate, and an officer stationed there to receive the names of
the stream of visitors from the city, and to inform them that the
count was making satisfactory progress. By the doctor's orders,
even the count's most intimate friends were refused admission, as
absolute quiet was needed.
Fergus dismounted at the gate, and walked up to the house. The maid
who opened the door recognized him at once.
"Will you come in, sir?" she said, with a beaming face. "I will
tell the young countess you are here; and she will, I am sure, see
you."
A minute later, the girl ran down the stairs. As she came forward
she stopped, with sudden shyness. Absorbed in her anxiety for her
father and mother, she had taken but little heed of the appearance
of the officer who had saved them. That he was kind as well as
brave she was sure for, although he had scarce spoken to her, the
gentleness with which he had moved her father and her mother from
the bloodstained room, and the promptness and decision with which
he had given his orders, had inspired her with absolute confidence
in him. She had a vague idea that he was young, but his face,
flecked here and there with blood, had left but a faint impression
upon her memory; and when she saw the young officer, in his
spotless and imposing uniform, she almost felt that there must be
some mistake.
"Are you Lieutenant Drummond, sir?" she asked timidly.
"I am, countess."
"Was it really you who saved us, the other night?"
"I had that good fortune," he said with a smile.
She took the hand he held out, wonderingly, and then suddenly burst
into tears.
"Oh, sir," she said, "is it possible that you, who look so young,
can be the one who came to our assistance, and killed those six
evil men? It seems impossible.
"I have been so unhappy, since. I did not know that you were
wounded until the maids told me, afterwards. I had never even
asked. I let you go, without one word of thanks for all that you
have done for us. What must you have thought of me?"
"I thought that you were a very courageous girl," Fergus said
earnestly; "and that, after what you had gone through, the sight of
your father as you believed dying, and your mother in such a state,
you were wonderfully calm and composed. It would have been strange,
indeed, had you thought of anything else at such a time."
"You are very good to say so, sir; but when I heard, from the
surgeons you sent, that you had fainted from loss of blood after
delivering your message, I felt that I should never forgive myself.
You had thought so much of us, and not of yourself. You had gone
about seeing to our comfort, and giving orders and arranging
everything, and all the time you yourself needed aid."
"The wound was a mere trifle," he said, "and I scarce gave it a
thought, myself, until I began to feel faint from loss of blood. I
can assure you that the thought that you were ungrateful has never
once entered my head."
"And now, will you please come up to see my mother, sir. She will
be most anxiously expecting you."
They went upstairs together and, turning to the right on the top of
the stairs, entered a pretty apartment that was evidently the
countess's boudoir.
"This is our preserver, mother," the girl said, as she entered.
The countess, who was advancing towards the door, stopped in
surprise. She had been able, from her daughter, to gain no idea of
the age of their rescuer; but the maids had all asserted that he
was quite young. As he was, for so the surgeons had told her, one
of Marshal Keith's aides-de-camp, she had pictured to herself a
fierce soldier; and the sight of this youth, with his smooth
pleasant face, surprised her, indeed.
"Yes, mother, it is himself," the girl said. "I was as surprised as
you are."
"I have no words to thank you, sir, for the most inestimable
service which you have rendered us," the countess said warmly, as
she held out her hand. "Assuredly my husband would have died, had
aid been delayed but a few minutes. As to my daughter and myself,
they would probably have killed us, to prevent our ever recognizing
or giving evidence against them. They only spared our lives, for a
time, in order to learn where our jewels were kept. This was but a
comparative trifle, though the jewels are precious, and there are
none more valuable in Saxony. I have no doubt that after stripping
the house of its valuables they would have buried them, intending
some day to recover them; and would then have fired the house, in
order to conceal all evidence of the crime that had been committed.
It seemed to me wonderful, before, that one man should, single
handed, have attacked and slain them; but now that I see you, it
seems almost a miracle that you performed in our favour."
"It was no great feat, madam. I have the good fortune to be a fair
swordsman; and soldiers, although they may know their military
drill, have little chance with one who can use his weapon well.
Then, too, I had fortunately but three to deal with at a time; and
even then, I should not have come off victorious had it not been
for the courage of the maid, who ran boldly in, sprang on the back
of one, and threw him to the ground, while he was waiting to get a
steady aim at me with his pistol. I assuredly owe my life to her."
"The King of Prussia left twenty gold crowns for her, when he was
here, saying that it was payment for saving the life of one of his
officers; and you may be sure that we shall not be ungrateful to
her. Your death would have involved that of my husband, and us. The
king also ordered that inquiry should be made as to whether our men
who were killed had families dependent upon them; and that if so,
pensions were to be given to these, as their loss had been
occasioned by the evil deeds of some of his soldiers. It was very
thoughtful and kind, and my daughter seems quite to have fallen in
love with him.
"I hope that in a few days my husband will be able to see you. He
does not know that you are here. If he did, I am sure that he would
wish to see you now; but the surgeons have insisted so strongly on
absolute quiet, that I dare not let him hear of your coming."
"I am delighted to learn that he is going on so well, madame. I
sincerely trust that he will not long remain an invalid."
"I suppose you would not have recognized me?" the countess asked.
"I should not, indeed. Of course, I could do nothing to aid you,
and was chiefly occupied by the count. But indeed, you were then so
pale that I might well be excused for not knowing you again."
The countess was a very handsome woman, of some seven or eight and
thirty, with a noble figure and a gracious air; and bore no
resemblance to the almost distraught woman, with her hair falling
over her face, whom he had seen before.
"I am not a coward, Mr. Drummond," she said, "and when those
villains first ran in and attacked my husband, I struggled
desperately with the two who seized me; until I saw him drop, as I
believed, dead. Then my strength suddenly left me, and I should
have fallen to the ground, had the men not thrown me back into the
chair. I have a vague recollection of seeing Thirza, who had
retired for the night but a minute or two previously, carried in
bound and gagged. They asked me several questions, but I could not
reply; and I think they learned from the frightened servants where
the family jewels were kept. The clashing of swords and the firing
of pistols roused me a little, and after it was all over, and I
heard you say that my husband was still living, my heart gave one
bound, and I knew nothing more of what happened until next day."
After chatting for a short time longer Fergus took his leave, well
pleased to have got through a visit he had somewhat dreaded.
The king remained for nearly a month at Dresden, engaged in
carrying on negotiations with the Elector. By this delay he lost
most of the advantages that his sudden movement had given him; but
he was most anxious to detach Saxony and Poland from the
confederacy against him, as he would then be able to turn his
attention wholly to Austria, aided by the Saxons, while the Poles
would aid his army in the east to keep the Russians in check. The
Elector of Saxony--who was also King of Poland--however, was only
negotiating in order to give time for Austria to gather an army in
Bohemia; and so to relieve the Saxons, who were watched by the
eastern column, which had crossed the defiles into Bohemia and
taken post near Koeniggraetz; while that of Prince Maurice of
Brunswick pushed forward farther, to threaten their line of retreat
from the west.
The king at last became convinced that the King of Poland was but
trifling with him, and in the last week of September started to
take the command of the centre, which was facing the entrance to
the defile, at Pirna. Marshal Keith had been sent, a week after
Fergus was wounded, to assume the command of the western column,
hitherto commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick.
Fergus remained behind for ten days, at the end of which time he
felt perfectly fit for service again. He still carried his arm in a
sling, but a generous diet and good wine had filled his veins
again, and upon the day the king left he rode with Karl to rejoin
the marshal.
He had been several times over to the chateau, and had on the last
occasion seen the count; who, although still terribly weak, was now
out of danger, and able to sit on a couch, propped up by pillows.
His thanks were as earnest as those of the countess had been and,
having heard that Fergus was to start on the following morning to
join the army on the frontier, he said to him:
"There is no saying how far your king may carry his arms, nor where
you may find yourself. The countess will, therefore, write letters
addressed to intimate friends at various large towns; telling them
that you have placed us under a vast obligation, and praying them
to do, for our sake, all in their power for you, under whatever
circumstances you may arrive there. She will write them on small
pieces of paper, each with its name and address on the back, so
that they will make a small and compact packet, not much bigger
than an ordinary letter.
"I trust that when you return to Dresden, lieutenant, I shall be
able, myself, to do my best to prove my gratitude for your
services."
After taking leave of the count, his wife, and daughter, Fergus
rode back to the royal quarters. As Karl took his horse, he said:
"Herr lieutenant, I know not how we are going to manage."
"In what way, Karl?"
"Two magnificent horses, complete with saddlery, holsters, and
pistols, arrived here half an hour since. The man who brought them
said they were from Count Eulenfurst, and handed me this note:
"'Pray accept the horses we send you, as a feeble token of our
gratitude. May they, by their speed and staunchness, carry you
unharmed through dangers well nigh as great as those you faced for
us.'"
Fergus walked by the side of the soldier as he led the horse round
to the stable.
"There, sir," Karl said, pointing to a pair of splendid animals;
"they are fit for a king."
"'Tis a noble gift, and indeed, I doubt whether the king himself
has such horses in his stables. The question is, what is to be done
with them? My present charger is an excellent one and, as a gift of
the marshal, I could not part with it. As to the others, it is out
of the question that I can take both. It would be altogether
contrary to rules. I am entitled to forage for two horses--that is,
when forage is to be had.
"Ah! I see what had best be done. Come to my room with me. I will
give you a letter to the count."
He wrote as follows:
"Dear Count Eulenfurst,
"I cannot refuse the noble gift that you have made me, and thank
you and the countess for it, with all my heart. At present,
however, it places me in a difficulty. Aides-de-camp are allowed to
take only two horses; indeed, my orderly could not take with him
more than one led horse. The animal I have was the gift of Marshal
Keith. That being so, you will see that I could not part with it.
The only solution, therefore, that occurs to me is to beg you to
add to your kindness, by taking care of the one that I send back to
you by the bearer, until I return to Dresden; or find means to send
for it, in the event of one of the others being killed.
"The only fault with your gifts is that they ought to be kept for
state reviews, or grand occasions; for it seems wrong to take such
noble creatures into the midst of a heavy fire. I am sure that I
shall feel more nervous, lest a ball should injure my horse, than I
shall do for my own safety."
When he had folded and sealed this, he handed it to Karl, who had
followed shortly after him.
"I am sending back one of the horses, Karl, and asking the count to
take care of it for me, until I return or send for it. Do you see
any difference between them?"
"It would be hard to pick the best, lieutenant. They both struck me
as being perfect in all points--both are four years old."
"Well then, you must take one at random, Karl. Had one been better
than the other, I should have left it behind. As it is, take
whichever you choose."
"The man who brought them told me, sir, that both were bred on the
count's estates; and that he prided himself on having some of the
best blood in Europe, both for beauty and stamina. He thought this
pair were the pick of the stables."
"I almost wish I could leave them both behind, but I could not do
so without hurting the feelings of the count and countess. But they
are too good for an aide-de-camp's work."
"I don't think anything can be too good for that, sir. An
aide-de-camp wants a horse that will stop at nothing; and sometimes
he has to ride for his life, pursued by the enemy's cavalry. You
will be the envy of the division, on one of those horses."
Karl returned an hour later with a message from the countess,
saying that she could not disturb her husband, who was then
resting, but that she understood Mr. Drummond's difficulty, and
they should be very glad to take care of the horse for him, until
he wanted it.
"You did not see the countess, I suppose, Karl?"
"Yes, sir, I saw her. She had me taken upstairs to her room. She
asked if I was your servant, and when I said yes, she told me that
she hoped I would take great care of you. I said that was my duty.
"'Nevertheless, do more than your duty,' she said. 'His life is a
very precious one to us.
"'Is it not, Thirza?'
"The young lady nodded.
"'Here are five gold crowns for yourself,' she went on, handing me
the money. 'They may help to make your bivouac more comfortable.
"'And now,' she said, 'there is something else, but I do not wish
you to tell your master.'
"What am I to do, your honour?"
"You had better keep it to yourself, Karl," Fergus laughed. "I
daresay I shall hear of it, someday."
"Very well, lieutenant, then that is all there is to report."
The next morning Fergus started early. Two days previously, a
Prussian governor had been appointed to Dresden, and three thousand
men were left under his command. Similar appointments were also
made to all the fortified towns in Saxony; for now that the
negotiations were broken off, and the King of Poland had declared
finally for the Confederates, Saxony was to be treated as a
conquered country. Nevertheless, strict injunctions were given that
all cattle, wheat, and other provisions taken for the use of the
garrisons, or for storing up in fortresses whence it might be
forwarded to the army, were to be paid for; and that any act of
pillage or ill treatment was to be most severely punished, as the
king was still most anxious to gain the goodwill of the mass of the
population.