Page:Surprising adventures and sufferings of Frederick Baron Trenck.pdf/9

9 when my people were employed in loading the waggons, and surprising my sentinel, fell suddenly upon them, and took the whole party prisoners in the farm-yard. I was sitting quietly in the gentleman’s seat, with the mistress of the house, and saw from the window what happened.

I was afflicted beyond measure, and the good lady was proposing to hide me, when I heard a firing at the farm. The Hussars posted at the convent, had been told by a peasant, that there was an Austrian detachment in the wood; they saw us go into the farm-house, hastened to our assistance, and came up a few minutes after the surprise. It is impossible to express the pleasure with which I joined them. Some of the enemy’s Hussar's escaped by the back door; however we made twenty-two prisoners, among whom was a Lieutenant of the regiment of Kalnockichen. They had two men killed and one wounded, and I lost on my side two Rangers, who were killed in the hay loft where they were at work. After this reincounter we continued to forage with greater precaution, the horses we had taken served in part to draw waggons; and having laid the convent under contribution to the amount of a hundred and fifty ducats which I distributed among my soldiers to purchase their silence, we set off to rejoin the army. The King was at table when I came into his tent. As I had been absent the whole night every body had supposed me taken, which had that day been the fate of many others. The instant I came in the King asked me if I returned alone: ‘No, Sire’ answered I ‘ I bring with me five and twenty waggons loaded with forage, and twenty-two prisoners, with their