The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-12-15

X In the Hour Of Need.
o&o*OxO*O*O%o %oxo*oxO#OxO*O*
The great battle of Torgau was at its
height The air was thick with hot,
sitting smoke, and the cannonade
made the very earth tremble as 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 thundered 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, and
twice they had been driven back with
severe loss after desperate conflict
In the mad hurly burly and confusion
Of that terrible struggle the two armies
had got so completely mingled together
that not few Prussian and Austrian
regiments had fairly changed places,
and when the third attack began it
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 small, lean, sick
ly looking old man, in soiled and
threadbare uniform, at the sight of
whom and at the sound Of the few
short, clear orders that he uttered
everything seemed to arrange itself at
once as if by magic. And well might
it 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 a short
distance and began to pour a 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 bullet.
"Your majesty is in danger here, y
said Prussian officer, saluting him
respectfully. "Will you not be pleased
| to move farther backY'
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. Bu1
before he had time to speak the Officer
| (who had placed himself in front Of the
| king, apparently to shield him from tht
| flying bullets with his own body fel
to the ground as if struck by lightning
Frederick stopped over him with {
look Of concern, for he saw that thu
breast Of the fallen mans uniform hat
been pierced by bullet and natural!
concluded that he must be either killet
or mortally wounded. But, to his n,
small amazement, the supposed deat
man suddenly rose from the earth, t.
all appearances quite uninjured, an,
took out of his clothes a f1attened mus
ket ball, which had been stopped b,
the metal cover Of a miniature that b
wore in his breast.
81 shall keep this" said he, holdin
out the shapeless piece Of lead, ''in re
membrance of your majesty"
you shall have something bette
than that to remember me by, m
brave fellow" answered the king kline
ly. "You have saved my life, and yo
shall not find me ungrateful. What
your nameY
The officer told it. Frederick repea
ed it twice to himself, as if to fix
| mo lp ir,h nd fhnn n
said:
every good; will not forget you.
we both live through this nights wOrl
you shall be promoted. And now le
each of us go to his duty"
And on the following morning, whe
the battle was won and the Austria
army in full retreat, King Frederic
made good his promise.
= But, unhappily. the brave officer
good fortune went no further than thi
Two years later the war came to a
end, and Frederick. with his treasur
empty and his whole kingdom lyin
wasted and ruined around him, ws
fain to devote every penny that
could raise to the putting Of matters
rights again.
AS a matter of course every branc
of public expenditure had to be CT
down to the very lowest point. Amor
other economies the army was reduce
by n good many thousand men, al
tho sudden disbanding Of so many re
iments at once was a heavy blow
, hundreds of officers who unexpected
d found themselves cast upon the wor
y in their old age with no occupation, l
= money in their pockets and no visib
u way of getting any.
Among the countless sufferers by til