sire for blood and torture, they
then attacked the two servants, stripped them of their clothes, cut
one to pieces like a beast, and threw the other on the red-hot coals,
roasting him alive, as formerly the warriors of her Most Christian
Majesty of Spain did those whom, in the pride of their civilization,
they denominated "the wild heathen."[1]

[Footnote 1: The account of all these cruelties and this vandalism is
verified in the original, by reference to Von Archenholz: "History of
the Seven Years' War," pp.194-198.--TRANSLATOR.]

* * * * *

CHAPTER IV.

THE CADETS.

The day following the occupation of Berlin, a strange and singular
procession moved down the Linden Street through the Brandenburg Gate,
and took the road to Charlottenburg. Bruehl's dragoons and De Lacy's
chasseurs rode on each side of the line, which would have excited
laughter, if pity and sorrow had not overcome the comical element.
It was a procession of children decked in uniform, and having
nothing military about them but their apparel, nothing manly but the
dress-sword at their side.

This singular little regiment was the "Corps of Cadets," which had
been made prisoners of war by the Austrians and Saxons.

The commandant, Von Rochow, did not imagine that the enemy would carry
his hard-heartedness to such an extent as to consider these lads of
tender age as part of the garrison, and make them prisoners of war in
consequence. None of these boys exceeded the age of twelve years (the
larger and older ones having been drafted into the army to supply the
want of officers), and he presumed that their very helplessness and
weakness would be their security, and therefore had omitted to mention
them specially in the surrender. But the conqueror had no compassion
on these little children in uniform, and pronounced them prisoners of
war. Even Liliputian warriors might be dangerous! Remember the pangs
suffered by Gulliver, as, lying quietly on the ground, he was suddenly
awakened by a violent discharge poured into him from behind the high
grass by the Liliputians. To be sure their weapons were only armed
with needles--whence we may infer that the Liliputians are the
original inventors of the modern Prussian needle-percussion
rifles--but, one can be killed by needle-pricks. Count De Lacy feared,
perhaps, the needle weapons of the little Liliputian cadets, and
treated the poor, delicate, tender children as if they