o those
over there are the cats and we are the bull dogs!"

Frederick was highly amused. "Take care," said he, "that 'those over
there' do not hear you liken their empresses to cats."

"And if they are empresses," said Fritz Kober, dryly, "they are still
women, and women are cats."

The king looked over toward the camp-fires, which were boldly shining on
the horizon.

"How far is it from here to those fires?" said he.

"About an hour," said Charles Henry, "not more."

"One hour," repeated the king, softly. "In one hour, then, I could know
my fate! Listen, children, which of you will go for me?"

Both exclaimed in the same moment, "I will!"

"It is a fearful attempt," said the king, earnestly; "the Cossacks are
swarming in every direction, and if you escape them, you may be caught
in the camp and shot as spies."

"I will take care that they shall not recognize me as an enemy," said
Charles Henry, quietly.

"I also," said Fritz Kober, zealously. "You stay, Charles Henry, we dare
not both leave the king. You know that only this evening, while upon
the watch, we swore that, even if the whole army of the enemy marched
against us, we would not desert our king, but would stand at our post
as long as there was a drop of blood in our veins or a breath in our
bodies."

The king laid his hands upon the two soldiers and looked at them with
much emotion. The moon, which stood great and full in the heavens,
lighted up this curious group, and threw three long, dark shadows over
the plain.

"And you have sworn that, my children?" said the king, after a long
pause. "Ah, if all my men thought as you do we would not have been
defeated this day."

"Sir king, your soldiers all think as we do, but fate was against us.
Just as I said, the cats outnumbered us to-day, but we will bite them
bravely for it next time. And now tell me, sir king, what shall I do
over there in the camp?"

Before the king could answer, Charles Henry laid his hand upon his arm.

"Let me go," said he, entreatingly; "Fritz Kober is so daring, so
undaunted, he is not cautious; they will certainly shoot him, and then
you have lost the best soldier in your army."

"Your loss, I suppose, would not be felt; the king can do without you."

"Listen, children," said the king, "it is best that you both go; one can
protect the other, and four ears are better than two."

"The king is right, that is best--we will both go."

"And leave the king alone and ungua