Page:The Reminiscences of Carl Schurz (Volume One).djvu/261

 leave you. Where you go, I go.” The eyes of the good boy sparkled with pleasure.

“But,” said I, “you have nothing to gain, and we shall probably have to incur great dangers.”

“Danger or no danger,” replied Adam, with decision, “I remain with you.”

At this moment I saw an artillery officer of the name of Neustädter, whom I knew well, pass by my window. He, like myself, was born in Rhenish Prussia, and had formerly served in the Prussian artillery.

“Where are you going, Neustädter?” I called to him through the window.

“To join my battery,” he answered. “We are to surrender in half an hour.”

“The Prussians will shoot you dead,” I replied; “go with me and let us try to escape.”

He stopped, came into the house and listened to my plan, which I explained to him in a few words.

“Good,” he said; “I will go with you.”

There was now no time to be lost. Adam was sent out to purchase a loaf of bread, two bottles of wine and some sausages. Then we put our pistols under our clothes, and rolled up our cloaks. In mine, a large dark cape lined with scarlet, received recently from our stores, I wrapped up a short carbine which I possessed. The bottles and the eatables which Adam had bought were packed up as well as we knew how. In the meantime the garrison began to march in close columns across the market-place. We followed the last column a short distance, and then turning into a side lane soon reached the inner mouth of our sewer. Without hesitation we slipped into it. It was between one and two o'clock in the afternoon of the 23d of July.