The Somerset reporter., 1899-07-06
more surely In his memory. and then he

said:
Very good. will not forget you If
we both live through this nights work.
you shall be promoted. And now let
each of lis go to his duty"
And on the following morning, when
the battle was won aud the Austrian
army in full retreat, King Frederick
made good his promise.
Hut. unhapptly, the brave officers
good fortune went no further than this
Two years later the war came to an
end. and Frederick, with his treasury
empty and his whole kingdom lying
fan to devote every penny that he
could raise to the putting Of matters to
rights again.
As a matter Of course every branch
of public expenditure had to be cut
down to the very lowest point Among
other economies the army WAS reduced
by a good many thousand men. and
the sudden dshandng of so many reg
iments Mt once was a heavy blow to
hundreds of officers who unexpectedly
found themselves cast upon the world
in their old age with no occupation. no
money in their pockets and no visible
way of getting any.
Among the countless sufferers by this
measure was poor Major Tapfermann,
the hero of Torgau, who, with three
wounds, chronic rheumatism and al
most as little money as he had ten
years before found it no easy matter
to make both ends meet
one 10y one he had to part with all
the little kaickknacks which he bad
treasured up SO long-the silver mount.
ed pistols presented to him by junior
officers of his regiment the lieldglass
which he had used during his last cam
paign and the ivory handled hunting
knife which had been given to him by
an Austrian prisoner to whom he had
shown some kindness. Even his watch
had to be sold at last But, although
i'll this sore strait, he could not bring
himself To part with the chain which
had been a gift to him from his wife
mol long before her death.
There was still, however. one hope
left for the poor old man. King Fred.
ericl was nos back again in his palace
nj potsdam. near Berlin; and, having
by this time begun to get the affairs of
his kingdom into some sort of order
again, he WAS not SO overwhelmingly
busy as he had been before. Perhaps
some help might be got from him, and
Ill IL Ia
try.
Tapfcrmann' first idea was to draw
up memorial stating his case and
send it To Frederick himself; but he
then remembered that it would have to
pass through several hands before
reaching the king and might possibly
never reach him at all In any case
he could not afford to wait long for an
answer, being almost down to his last
penny as it was, so he finally determine
ed to present himself at the palace and
see what would become of it,
The very next morning, accordingly,
the major smartened up his worn and
faded uniform as we'll as he could. and
concealed the absence of his watch by
fixing the chain in its usual place and
keeping it there by attaching to one
end of it the memorable "tlattencd bull
let of Torgau. which he had preserved
as n souvenir ever since. Then, tax
ing his stick in his hand, he set out for
Potsdam.
He had to do the whole nine miles on
foot, the hire of a horse being far be-
yond his means, poor fellow, and when
he reached the palace he was heated
and covered with dust and altogether
a very strange figure to appear at a
kings leyee, as the scornful glances of
the smart officials plainly told him.
Among these there was one mean
and malicious fellow, Hugo Won Wake
nitz by name. who held the post of
chamberlain of the palace, and, being
mortally jealous of every one whom
the king seemed inclined to favor, and
more especially of Frederck's old ofli-
GERS, always did his best to keep them
away from the royal presence. 1t hap
pened by i'll luck that Just as Major
Tafpermann opened his uniform to ad-
just his chain (Which he had got out of
place in the course of this long march,,
the chamberlain, looking down from
one of the windows, saw what he was
about.
The courtiers quick eye detected at
n glance that the chain had bullet i'll
stead of Il watch attached to 1t, and, far
from pitying the old warriors poverty,
as any true man would have done, this
spiteful rogue at once resolved to get
rid of him by putting him to open
shame before the whole assembled
company
And it really seemed as if circum.
stances themselves had conspired 10
aid his cruel project, for when the king
made his appearance his first remark
was:
My watch must surely be wrong, for
| had no Idea that it was anywhere
near my hour for receiving visitors.
Wakenitz, what says your watch?"
Most unfortunately your majesty,
mine has just stopped" answered the
chamberlain. But | see this worthy
officer here (glancng at Major Tapfer-
MANN has brought his along with him
and he will doubtless be able to tell
your majesty the true hour
The spiteful tone and look Of the
speaker did not escape the shreWd
king; but, before he could make any
comments the StOut old ma Tor dra wing