ouses, which inspired us with a stratagem that
was successful.

We lost our hats in leaping the ramparts; but Schell had preserved his
scarf and gorget, which would give him authority among the peasants.

I then cut my finger, rubbed the blood over my face, my shirt, and my
coat, and bound up my head, to give myself the appearance of a man
dangerously wounded.

In this condition I carried Schell to the end of the wood not far from
these houses; here he tied my hands behind my back, but so that I could
easily disengage them in ease of need: and hobbled after me, by aid of
his staff, calling for help.

Two old peasants appeared, and Schell commanded them to run to the
village, and tell a magistrate to come immediately with a cart. "I have
seized this knave," added he, "who has killed my horse, and in the
struggle I have put out my ankle; however, I have wounded and bound him;
fly quickly, bring a cart, lest he should die before he is hanged."

As for me, I suffered myself to be led, as if half-dead, into the house.
A peasant was despatched to the village. An old woman and a pretty girl
seemed to take great pity on me, and gave me some bread and milk: but how
great was our astonishment when the aged peasant called Schell by his
name, and told him he well knew we were deserters, having the night
before been at a neighbouring alehouse where the officer in pursuit of us
came, named and described us, and related the whole history of our
flight. The peasant knew Schell, because his son served in his company,
and had often spoken of him when he was quartered at Habelschwert.

Presence of mind and resolution were all that were now left. I instantly
ran to the stable, while Schell detained the peasant in the chamber. He,
however, was a worthy man, and directed him to the road toward Bohemia.
We were still about some seven miles from Glatz, having lost ourselves
among the mountains, where we had wandered many miles. The daughter
followed me: I found three horses in the stable, but no bridles. I
conjured her, in the most passionate manner, to assist me: she was
affected, seemed half willing to follow me, and gave me two bridles. I
led the horses to the door, called Schell, and helped him, with his lame
leg, on horseback. The old peasant then began to weep, and beg I would
not take his horses; but he luckily wanted courage, and perhaps the will
to impede us; for with nothing more than a dung-fork, in our then feeble
co