The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-06-30
The Majors Reward.
-GWI-
How = Soldier Who Had Saved His
Kings Life Was Remembered
In the Hour Of Need.


The great attic Of Torgnu was ut its
height. The air was thick with hot,
sitting smoke, and the c%annonade
made the very earth trrmble ns col.
umn after column Of blue coated prus.
sian soldiers came sweeping forth
from the wood that sheltered them
from the flaming mouths Of 400 cannon
which Numbered necessarily against
the wood held by the PrussianS and
against every living thing that issued
from it.
Twice the assailants had forced their
way through the pelting shot. ana
twice they had been driven back with
severe loss after a desperate conflict.
In the mad hurry burly and confusion
Of that terrible struggle the two armies
had got SO completely mingled together
that not q few Prussian and Austrian
regiments had fairly changed places.
and when the third attack began 1t
was no easy matter for the Prussian
column Of assault to make out where
the key Of the enemy's position lay
or which way they must turn in order
to strike It.
But just then appeared out OF the
thick Of the smoke a small, lean. sick.
~ looking old man. In a soiled and
threadbare uniform. ut the sight OF
whom and ut the sound Of the few
short. clear orders that he uttered
everything seemed to arrange itself ut
once as II by magic. And we'll might
1t be SO; for this queer little fellow was
no other than the King Of Prussia him.
self, Frederick the Great. who had al.
ready sent Is name throughout the
whole world as the greatest soldier Of
his time.
Just then. however, a body Of Aus.
trian grenadiers showed themselves
through the rolling smoke at Il short
distance and began to pour Il heavy
fire of musketry upon the Prussians
and their leader. Two men fell wound.
ed beside the king, and his own sleeve
was torn by a bullet.
"Your majesty Is In danger here"
said a Prusslan officer, saluting him
respectfully. Twill you not be pleased
to move farther back"
Frederick was just about to refuse,
for he cared little what risk he ran pro.
vided his presence could do anything
to turn the fortune Of the battle. But
before he had time to speak the officer
(who had placed himself In front Of the
king. apparently to shield him from the
flying bullets with his own body fell
to the ground as II struck by lightning.
Frederick stopped over him with Il
look Of concern, for he saw that the
breast Of the fallen mans uniform had
been pierced by a bullet and naturally
concluded that he must be either killed
or MORALLY wounded. But, to his no
small amazement, the supposed dead
man suddenly rose from the earth, to
all appearances quite uninjured, and
took out of his clothes n tlattened III
ket ball, which had been stopped by
the metal cover of a miniature that he
wore In his breast.
II shall keep this" said he, holding
out the shapeless piece Of lead, "In re-
membrance Of your majesty"
You shall have something better
than that to remember me by, my
brave fellow" answered the king kind.
~. You have saved my life, and you
shall not find me ungrateful. What IL
your Nance"
The officer told 1t. Frederick repeat.
ed 1t twice to himself, az IL to fix 1t
more surely In his memory, and then no
said:
Every good; l will not forget you, II
we both live through this nights work.
you shall be promoted, And now lot
each of us go TO his duty"
And on the following morning, when
the battle was won and the Austrian
army In full retreat, King Frederick
made good his promise,
But. unhappily, 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
wasted and ruined around him, was
fain to devote every penny that no
could raise 70 tho putting Of matters 10
rights again,
A. u matter OF course every branch
Of public expenditure had 10 10 cut
dawn 20 the very lowest point, Among
other economies tho army was reduced
by q good many thousand men, and
tho sudden disbanding Of No many reg,
inents ~ once was a heavy blow 10
hundreds Of officers who Unexpectedly
found themselves cast upon the world
In their old aye with no occupation, no
money In their pockets snd no visible
W. getting any,
- " tho eoYntiess sufferers by this