“I protested that I was a runaway German, and wished to fight against Prussia in the French service.
“The French were then engaged in a heavy war, and wanted men; but they did not believe my story, and insisted that I must be one of the famous ‘Scorchers’ from my ugly looks.
“They treated me awfully in prison, and kicked and cuffed me until I was black and blue, and sore all over.
“As luck would have it, however, after a month’s confinement, a party of recruits passed through the village.
“Not being able to prove who or what I was, the bailiff felt very much inclined to give me over to the recruiting officer so as to get rid of me.
“Anything to me was preferable to a prison life, and I gladly volunteered to go into the French army to fight against the pot-bellied, money-grubbing Dutch and Germans.
“As I was a well-made young fellow, the soldier jumped at the chance of having such a fine recruit.
“I joined them, and, after a few days of hard marching, we reached Strasbourg, where I was drilled six times a day until, at last, I began to think they would drill the very life out of me.
“I was all along dreaming of and devising some plan to escape to England, but could not.
“At last an accident occurred which took me out of the army.