Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-05-05

oHlcer cheerlly, holding up the nat
tened bullet.
whats your name?"
Captain Hasfeldt of the til dra
goons, if it please your majesty"
Good" says the king. Il shall no
forget you, Colonel Hasfeldt, if Prus
STA and survive this day. Come, gen
tlemen, there is nothing more for u
to do here
And turning his horse he ride
hastily off the lost battlefield.
Years have come and gone, and tn,
Seven Years war is over, and Prussia
is safe, and Frederick, busted with the
overwhelming labor of replacing the
ruin which the great struggle ha.
wrought-rebuilding burned villages
replanting ravaged fields. bringing
order cut of disorder, extending ma,
tional trade, promoting national edu-
cation-fails to notice the careworn
look and increasing shabbiness of a
certain Colonel Hasfeldt, who is on
duty at the palace of Potsdam.
| And in truth the veterans look
may well be anxious and his uniform
faded.
} Seanty as are his means, he has mar
rowed them still more by assisting his
old comrades in their need, and now
trouble after trouble has fallen upon
him.
Money is short, his wife is i'll, and
he, in order to supply his wants has
sold or pawned one by one what few
yaluables he possesses.
At last nothing is left but the old
silver watch which has been his COM
panion in SO many battles, and over
it he hesitates long, for he knows that
the methodical king likes to see every
officer with his watch about him, and
he is fond Of asking the hour.
But money must be had, and the
watch has to go.
However the chain is still left, and
in order to keep it in its place, the
veteran attaches to it the fattened
bullet of Kunersdorf, which he still
preserves as relic
Thus equipped, and with the same
stately bearing as ever, but hiding a
very sore heart beneath his torn uni
form, the old man goes up to the
palace.
Now, as ill-luck win have it, Just as
he comes up the steps the chain gets
loose and drags out the bullet along
with it.
He puts it hastily back, hoping that
no one has noticed it; but unhappily
there is at that moment looking out OF
an adjoining window the very last
man whom he would have wished to
see him-a French wit who is on
visit to the king.
Fond of mischief as monkey. and
rejoicing in every opportunity of max
ing other people look foolish, the ma
licious jester looks upon this involun-
tary betrayal of poverty as first-rate
joke, and hurries off to tell the king.
Your majesty" says he, when
Colonel Hasfeldt comes in just ask him
what time it is, and you'll see some
thing comical."
The king looked rather stern. per-
haps feeling conscience-strick at the
sudden rem embrance of his old SER
wants careworn face. and the little
notice he had lately taken of him.
But just at that moment in came the
colonel
Are you not little late this morn
ing. coloneI?" asked Frederick. .Out
with your watch, and let me see what
time it is. !"
The old soldier saw in a moment by
the Frenchmans spiteful grin the
snare that had been laid for him. but
he faced the trial like man.
Without hesitating a moment he
pulled ont the fattened ball. and
holding it mp to the king, said quietly:
This watch. sire, keeps but one
tells me that must be ready
at any hour to die for our majesty"
Frederick shot glance at the mali
cious Frenchman, before which the
latter recoiled as from a blow. and
then taking off his watch. said with a
look of emotion rarely seen on that
iron face:
Take this, my old comrade, as the
gift not of your king but Of your
friend, and tomorrow you shall see
hat | have not forgotten the field OF
"
And sure enough the very next |
morning Colonel Hasfeldt received q
pension which made him comfortable
'or life.