Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia | Page 5

to another comrade whom I
met on the retreat; or, to speak more correctly, who found me lying in
the ditch. The lucky fellow had got a horse; he offered me a seat behind
him. But I saw that the animal was too weak to carry both of us; hence
I did not accept his offer, but I took the refreshments which he gave to
me, and with which he not only saved my life, but yours too. You are,
therefore, under no obligations to me, but to him alone."
"You are as kind as you are generous," said the other, gently,
involuntarily raising his hand toward his forehead.
"And I see that you are in pain," exclaimed the officer, "and that the
wound in your head is burning. Mine has been dressed already, and my
shattered arm bandaged--for I received both wounds yesterday in the
early part of the battle, and the surgeon attended to them while the
bullets were hissing around us."
"I was wounded only when every thing was lost," sighed the other. "A
member of the accursed imperial guard struck me down."
"I hope you gave him a receipt in full for your wounds?" asked the
officer, while tenderly washing the wound with the water he had
brought along in the broken jar.
The other officer looked up to him with flashing eyes.
"I gave him a receipt which he has already shown to God Himself," he
said, "provided there is a God for these accursed French. My sword
cleft his skull, but I fell together with him."
"Your wound here in the forehead is of no consequence," said the
officer; "the stroke only cut the skin. Let us put this moistened
handkerchief on it."

"Oh, now I am better," said the other; "now that the wound burns less
painfully, I feel that life is circulating again through all my veins."
"And what about your arm?"
"A lancer pierced it. I hope he was kind enough not to touch the bone,
so that the arm need not be amputated. It is true, it pains severely; but,
you see, I can move it a little, which proves that it is not shattered. Now,
comrade, do me still another favor--assist me in rising."
"Here, lean firmly on me. There! I will lift you up--now you are on
your legs again. Lean on me still, for you might become dizzy."
"No, I shall not. I feel again well and strong enough to take the burden
of life on my shoulders. Thank God! I am able to stand again. For,
however crushed and trampled under foot we may be, we will submit to
our fate manfully, and stand erect. The conqueror and tyrant shall not
succeed in bending our heads, although he has broken our hearts. Ah,
comrade, that was a terrible day when all Prussia sank in ruins!"
"You were in the thickest of the fray? The regiment of the queen's
dragoons fought at Auerstadt, I believe?"
"Yes, it fought at Auerstadt, or rather it did the same as all the other
regiments--it deserted. Only a few squadrons complied with the urgent
exhortations of the king, who led us against the squares of the enemy
near Hassenhausen. His own horse was shot; we officers stood our
ground, but the dragoons ran away.[Historical] Ah, I wept with rage,
and if my tears could have been transformed into bullets, they would
not have been directed against the enemy, but against our own
cowardly dragoons. The battle would have been won if our soldiers had
not disgracefully taken to their heels. All shouts, orders, supplications,
were in vain; the soldiers were running, although no enemy pursued
them; the panic had rendered them perfectly crazy."
"And do you really believe, comrade, that we owe the loss of the battle
exclusively to the cowardice of the soldiers?" asked the officer. "Did
our generals do their duty? Ah, you look gloomy, and do not reply.

Then you agree with me? Let us, however, speak of all these things
afterward, but first of ourselves."
"Yes, first of ourselves!" exclaimed the other, starting from his gloomy
reflections. "Count Pückler, you were kind enough to tell me your
name, when you relieved an unknown sufferer in so humane a manner,
and thereby saved his life. Now permit me to tell you my name, too, so
that you may know at least who will always revere your memory with
affection and gratitude. I am Second-Lieutenant Ferdinand von Schill.
You see, it is a very humble name; still I had solemnly vowed that it
should not be unknown in the battles that were to be fought."
"And I see it written on your brow, comrade, that you will at some
future time make up for what fate has now prevented you from