nose, by name Mengke; this
fellow I hated like death; when he hit me on the feet the blood went to
my head. Under his hands I should have learnt nothing all my days. This
was observed by Hevel, who man[oe]uvred with his people on the same
ground, so he exchanged me for another, and took me into his platoon.
This was a heartfelt pleasure to me. Now I learned in an hour more than
in ten days with the other.

"Shaerer was as poor as I; but he got an augmentation of two groschen
and a double portion of bread, for the Major thought a good bit more of
him than of me. Meanwhile we loved each other as brothers; as long as
one had anything the other would share it with him. Bachmann, on the
contrary, who also lodged with us, was a niggardly fellow, and did not
agree with us; nevertheless the hours always appeared as long as day
when we could not be together. As soon as our drills were over, we flew
together to Schottmann's cellar, drank our mug of Ruppin or Kotbuss
beer, smoked a pipe, and trilled a Swiss song. The Brandenburgers and
Pomeranians always listened to us with pleasure. Some gentlemen even
sent for us express to a cook-shop, to sing the _ranz-des-vackes_. The
musicians' pay principally consisted in nasty soup, but in such a
situation one must be content with still less.

"We often related to one another our manner of life at home; how well
off we were and how free; and what a cursed life we led here, and the
like. Then we made plans for our escape. Sometimes we entertained hopes
that we might succeed; at other times we saw before us insurmountable
difficulties, and we were principally deterred by thinking of the
consequences of an unsuccessful attempt. We heard every week fearful
stories of deserters brought back, who, even when they had been so
cunning as to disguise themselves in the dresses of sailors and other
artisans, or even as women, and had concealed themselves in tuns and
casks, and the like, had yet been caught. Then we had to look on while
they ran the gauntlet eight times through two hundred men, till they
sank down breathless--and then again the following day; their clothes
were torn off from their hacked backs, and the punishment was repeated
till the coagulated blood hung over their trousers. Then Shaerer and I
looked at each other trembling and deadly pale, and whispered to one
another, 'Cursed barbarians!' What took place also on the drill-ground
gave occasion for similar observations. There was no