ould I neither desert nor afflict. To her and my sister was my
existence still necessary. For their sakes, who had lost and suffered so
much for mine, would I preserve my life; for them no difficulty, no
suffering was too great; yet, alas! when long-desired liberty was
restored, I found them both in their graves. The joy, for which I had
borne so much, was no more to be tasted.

About three weeks after my attempt to escape, the good Gelfhardt first
came to stand sentinel over me; and the sentinel they had so carefully
set was indeed the only hope I could have of escape; for help must be had
from without, or this was impossible.

The effort I had made had excited too munch surprise and alarm for me to
pass without strict examination; since, on the ninth day after I was
confined, I had, in eighteen hours, so far broken through a prison built
purposely for myself, by a combination of so many projectors, and with
such extreme precaution, that it had been universally declared
impenetrable.

Gelfhardt scarcely had taken his post before we had free opportunity of
conversing together; for, when I stood with one foot on my bedstead, I
could reach the aperture through which light was admitted.

Gelfhardt described the situation of my dungeon, and our first plan was
to break under the foundation which he had seen laid, and which he
affirmed to be only two feet deep.

Money was the first thing necessary. Gelfhardt was relieved during his
guard, and returned bringing within him a sheet of paper rolled on a
wire, which he passed through my grating; as he also did a piece of small
wax candle, some burning amadone (a kind of tinder), a match, and a pen.
I now had light, and I pricked my finger, and wrote with my blood to my
faithful friend, Captain Ruckhardt, at Vienna, described my situation in
a few words, sent him an acquittance for three thousand florins on my
revenues, and requested he would dispose of a thousand florins to defray
the expenses of his journey to Gummern, only two miles from Magdeburg.
Here he was positively to be on the 15th of August. About noon, on this
same day, he was to walk with a letter in his hand; and a man was there
to meet him, carrying a roll of smoking tobacco, to whom he must remit
the two thousand florins, and return to Vienna.

I returned the written paper to Gelfhardt by the same means it had been
received, gave him my instructions, and he sent his wife with it to
Gummern, by whom it was