This little incident I may be pardoned for interpolating from a portion of my life of which I do not intend to speak further, as with the career of the Soldier of Fortune I mean to close these memoirs of Maurice Tiernay.
CHAPTER XLIX. A LUCKY MEETING
The reader will probably not complain if, passing over the manifold adventures and hair-breadth ‘scapes of my little party, I come to our arrival at Ingoldstadt, where the headquarters of General Vandamme were stationed. It was just as the recall was beating that we rode into the town, where, although nearly eight thousand men were assembled, our somewhat singular cavalcade attracted no small share of notice. Fresh rations for ‘man and beast’ slung around our very ragged clothing, and four Austrian grenadiers tied by a cord, wrist to wrist, as prisoners behind us, we presented, it must be owned, a far more picturesque than soldierlike party.
Accepting all the attentions bestowed upon us in the most flattering sense, and affecting not to perceive the ridicule we were exciting on every hand, I rode up to the état-major and dismounted. I had obtained from ‘my prisoners’ what I deemed a very important secret, and was resolved to make the most of it by asking for an immediate audience of the general.
‘I am the officier d ordonnance,’ said a young lieutenant of dragoons, stepping forward; ‘any communications you have to make must be addressed to me.’
‘I have taken four prisoners, Monsieur le lieutenant,’ said I, ‘and would wish to inform General Vandamme on certain matters they have revealed to me.’
‘Are you in the service?’ asked he, with a glance at my incongruous equipment.
‘I have served, sir,’ was my reply.
‘In what army of brigands was it, then?’ said he, laughing, ‘for, assuredly, you do not recall to my recollection any European force that I know of.’