e no instruments, no weapons, but God gave me what
He gave the mole--He gave my fingers nails, and my mouth teeth; and if
there is no other way, I will make my escape by them."

"It is certainly very kind of you to inform me of all this," cried
the commandant. "Be assured I shall not forget your words. I shall
accommodate myself to them. You seek to escape--I seek to detain you
here. I am convinced I shall find some means of assuring myself every
quarter of an hour that your nails and teeth have not freed you. The
smith's work I see is done, and we dare entertain the hope that for the
present you will remain with us. Or perhaps you mean to bite your chains
in two as soon as I leave?"

"God gave Samson strength to crush with his arms the temple columns,"
said Trenck, gazing at the blacksmith, who was now leaving the room.
"See, the ignis fatuus has disappeared from my cell, the sun will soon
shine."

"Trenck, be reasonable," said Von Bruckhausen, in an entreating tone.
"Do not increase your misery--do not force me to be more cruel to
you. Promise to make no more attempts to escape, and you shall not be
punished for your treacherous plot!"

Trenck laughed aloud. "You promise not to punish me. How could you
accomplish it? Has not your cruelty bound me in irons, in chains, whose
invention can only be attributed to the devil? Do I not live in the
deepest, most forlorn cell in the fortress? Is not my nourishment bread
and water? Do you not condemn me to pass my days in idleness, my nights
in fearful darkness? What more could you do to me?--how could you punish
any new attempt to escape? No, no, sir commandant; as soon as that door
has closed on you, the mole will commence to burrow, and some day, in
spite of all your care, he will escape."

"That is your last word!" cried Von Bruckhausen, infuriated. "You will
not promise to abandon these idle attempts at escape? You will not name
your accomplices?"

"No! and again no!"

"Well, then, farewell. You shall remember this hour, and I promise you,
you shall regret it."

Throwing a fearful look of malignant wrath at Trenck, who was leaning
against his pallet, laughing at his rage, the commandant left the
prison. The iron door closed slowly; the firm, even tread of the
disappearing soldiers was audible, then all was quiet.

A death-like stillness reigned in the prisoner's cell; no sound of
life disturbed the fearful quiet. Trenck shuddered; a feeling of
inexpressible woe,