he King sent him to this species of imprisonment; he then determined
to avenge himself by deserting, and was ready to aid me in recovering my
freedom, that he might, by that means, spite Fouquet.

I shall speak more hereafter of this extraordinary man, that I must not
in this place interrupt my story. We determined everything should be
prepared against the first time Schell mounted guard, and that our
project should be executed on our next. Thus, as he mounted guard every
four days, the eighth was to be that of our flight.

The governor meantime had been informed how familiar I was become with
the officers, at which taking offence, he sent orders that my door should
no more be opened, but that I should receive my food through a small
window that had been made for the purpose. The care of the prison was
committed to the major, and he was forbidden to eat with me, under pain
of being broken.

His precautions were ineffectual; the officers procured a false key, and
remained with me half the day and night.

Captain Damnitz was imprisoned in an apartment by the side of mine. This
man had deserted from the Prussian service, with the money belonging to
his company, to Austria, where he obtained a commission in his cousin's
regiment, who having prevailed on him to serve as a spy, during the
campaign of 1744, he was taken in the Prussian territories, known, and
condemned to be hanged.

Some Swedish volunteers, who were then in the army, interested themselves
in his behalf, and his sentence was changed to perpetual imprisonment,
with a sentence of infamy.

This wretch, who two years after, by the aid of his protectors, not only
obtained his liberty but a lieutenant-colonel's commission, was the
secret spy of the major over the prisoners; and he remarked that,
notwithstanding the express prohibition laid on the officers, they still
passed the greater part of their time in my company.

The 24th of December came, and Schell mounted guard. He entered my
prison immediately, where he continued a long time, and we made our
arrangements for flight when he next should mount guard.

Lieutenant Schroeder that day dined with the governor, and heard orders
given to the adjutant that Schell should be taken from the guard, and put
under arrest.

Schroeder, who was in the secret, had no doubt but that we were betrayed,
not knowing that the spy Damnitz had informed the governor that Schell
was then in my chamber.

Schroeder, full