that was passing. This fearful blow had annihilated him; and the giant
who, but a short time before, had thought to conquer the world, was now
a weak, trembling, defenceless child. When he was ordered to rise to
have the chains annexed to his iron girdle, and fastened to the wall,
he rose at once, and stretched out his hand for the manacles. Now the
commandant dared approach Trenck; he had no fear of the chained lion,
he could jeer at and mock without danger. He did it with the wrath of a
soul hard and pitiless; with the deep, unutterable hate of an implacable
enemy; for Trenck was his enemy, his much-feared enemy; he drove sleep
from his eyes--he followed him in his dreams. Often at midnight Von
Bruckhausen rose in terror from his couch, because he dreamed that
Trenck had escaped, and that he must now take his place in that dark,
fearful tomb. Surrounded by gay companions, he would turn pale and
shudder at the thought of Trenck's escaping--Trenck, whose fearful cell
was then destined to be his. This constant fear and anxiety caused
the commandant to see in Trenck not the king's prisoner, but his own
personal enemy, with whom he must do battle to his utmost strength, with
all the wrath and fear of a timid soul. With a cold, malicious smile he
informed him that his plot had been discovered, that his mad plan was
known; he had wished to take the fortress of Magdeburg and place upon
it the Austrian flag. With a jeering smile he held up to him the letter
Trenck had sent to his friend in Vienna, in which, without mentioning
names, he had made a slight sketch of his plan.

"Will you deny that you wrote this letter?" cried the commandant, in a
threatening voice.

Trenck did not answer. His head was bowed upon his breast; he was gazing
down in silence.

"You will be forced to name your accomplices," cried the enraged
commandant; "there is no palliation for a traitor, and if you do not
name them at once, I shall subject you to the lash."

An unearthly yell issued from Trenck's pale lips, and as he raised his
head, his countenance was expressive of such wild, such terrible rage,
that Bruckhausen drew away from him in affright. Trenck had awakened
from his lethargy; he had found again his strength and energy, he was
Trenck once more--the Trenck feared by Von Bruckhausen, though lying in
chains, the Trenck whom nothing could bend, nothing discourage.

"He who dares to whip me shall die," said he, gazing wildly at the
commandan