Page:Life and surprising adventures of Frederick Baron Trenck.pdf/10

 Some minutes after, he rose from table, cast its eyes on the prisoners, and putting the Order of Merit round my neck, ordered me to go and rest myself.

As I was not without money, I gave each non-commissioned officer twenty ducats, and each private soldier a ducat, to induce their silence. I determined, however, to embrace the first opportunity of making the King acquainted with the truth, and found a convenient one two days after. We were on a march, and in quality of Cornet, I was at the head of the troop. The King rode on before the drums, and beckoning to me to come to him, addressed me in these words: "Now Trenck, tell me the particulars of your late success." When I heard this question, I did not doubt my being betrayed; but the King asked it with such apparent good humour, that I related the matter exactly as it had passed, I observed marks of astonishment in his countenance; but I saw, at the same time, that he was not displeased with my sincerity. He talked with me half an hour, more like a father than a King, praised my candour, and concluded with these words which I shall never forget: "Depend upon me, and follow my advice, and I will make a man of you." It was not long before I perceived the confidence the King placed in me after this explanation, I received many marks of it in the course of the following winter, which we passed at Berlin.

In our retreat from Bohemia, the King entered Kollin with his Horse Guards, the piquets of Horse belonging to head quarters, and the second and third battalions of Guards: we had but four pieces of canoon, and our squadron was posted in the suburbs. Towards the evening, our advanced guards were driven in; the Hussars entered