the surprising adventures of baron munchausen-第8节

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are；　the　hare　also　　　litters　while　pursued　by　the　houndPresented　with　a　famous　horse　　　by　Count　Przobossky；　with　which　he　performs　many　extraordinary　　　feats。/

All　these　narrow　and　lucky　escapes；　gentlemen；　were　chances　turned　to　advantage　by　presence　of　mind　and　vigorous　exertions；　which；　taken　together；　as　everybody　knows；　make　the　fortunate　sportsman；　sailor；　and　soldier；　but　he　would　be　a　very　blamable　and　imprudent　sportsman；　admiral；　or　general；　who　would　always　depend　upon　chance　and　his　stars；　without　troubling　himself　about　those　arts　which　are　their　particular　pursuits；　and　without　providing　the　very　best　implements；　which　insure　success。　I　was　not　blamable　either　way；　for　I　have　always　been　as　remarkable　for　the　excellency　of　my　horses；　dogs；　guns；　and　swords；　as　for　the　proper　manner　of　using　and　managing　them；　so　that　upon　the　whole　I　may　hope　to　be　remembered　in　the　forest；　upon　the　turf；　and　in　the　field。　I　shall　not　enter　here　into　any　detail　of　my　stables；　kennel；　or　armoury；　but　a　favourite　bitch　of　mine　I　cannot　help　mentioning　to　you；　she　was　a　greyhound；　and　I　never　had　or　saw　a　better。　She　grew　old　in　my　service；　and　was　not　remarkable　for　her　size；　but　rather　for　her　uncommon　swiftness。　I　always　coursed　with　her。　Had　you　seen　her　you　must　have　admired　her；　and　would　not　have　wondered　at　my　predilection；　and　at　my　coursing　her　so　much。　She　ran　so　fast；　so　much；　and　so　long　in　my　service；　that　she　actually　ran　off　her　legs；　so　that；　in　the　latter　part　of　her　life；　I　was　under　the　necessity　of　working　and　using　her　only　as　a　terrier；　in　which　quality　she　still　served　me　many　years。

Coursing　one　day　a　hare；　which　appeared　to　me　uncommonly　big；　I　pitied　my　poor　bitch；　being　big　with　pups；　yet　she　would　course　as　fast　as　ever。　I　could　follow　her　on　horseback　only　at　a　great　distance。　At　once　I　heard　a　cry　as　it　were　of　a　pack　of　houndsbut　so　weak　and　faint　that　I　hardly　knew　what　to　make　of　it。　Coming　up　to　them；　I　was　greatly　surprised。　The　hare　had　littered　in　running；　the　same　had　happened　to　my　bitch　in　coursing；　and　there　were　just　as　many　leverets　as　pups。　By　instinct　the　former　ran；　the　latter　coursed：　and　thus　I　found　myself　in　possession　at　once　of　six　hares；　and　as　many　dogs；　at　the　end　of　a　course　which　had　only　begun　with　one。

I　remember　this；　my　wonderful　bitch；　with　the　same　pleasure　and　tenderness　as　a　superb　Lithuanian　horse；　which　no　money　could　have　bought。　He　became　mine　by　an　accident；　which　gave　me　an　opportunity　of　showing　my　horsemanship　to　a　great　advantage。　I　was　at　Count　Przobossky's　noble　country…seat　in　Lithuania；　and　remained　with　the　ladies　at　tea　in　the　drawing…room；　while　the　gentlemen　were　down　in　the　yard；　to　see　a　young　horse　of　blood　which　had　just　arrived　from　the　stud。　We　suddenly　heard　a　noise　of　distress；　I　hastened　down…　stairs；　and　found　the　horse　so　unruly；　that　nobody　durst　approach　or　mount　him。　The　most　resolute　horsemen　stood　dismayed　and　aghast；　despondency　was　expressed　in　every　countenance；　when；　in　one　leap；　I　was　on　his　back；　took　him　by　surprise；　and　worked　him　quite　into　gentleness　and　obedience　with　the　best　display　of　horsemanship　I　was　master　of。　Fully　to　show　this　to　the　ladies；　and　save　them　unnecessary　trouble；　I　forced　him　to　leap　in　at　one　of　the　open　windows　of　the　tea…room；　walked　round　several　times；　pace；　trot；　and　gallop；　and　at　last　made　him　mount　the　tea…table；　there　to　repeat　his　lessons　in　a　pretty　style　of　miniature　which　was　exceedingly　pleasing　to　the　ladies；　for　he　performed　them　amazingly　well；　and　did　not　break　either　cup　or　saucer。　It　placed　me　so　high　in　their　opinion；　and　so　well　in　that　of　the　noble　lord；　that；　with　his　usual　politeness；　he　begged　I　would　accept　of　this　young　horse；　and　ride　him　full　career　to　conquest　and　honour　in　the　campaign　against　the　Turks；　which　was　soon　to　be　opened；　under　the　command　of　Count　Munich。

I　could　not　indeed　have　received　a　more　agreeable　present；　nor　a　more　ominous　one　at　the　opening　of　that　campaign；　in　which　I　made　my　apprenticeship　as　a　soldier。　A　horse　so　gentle；　so　spirited；　and　so　fierceat　once　a　lamb　and　a　Bucephalus；　put　me　always　in　mind　of　the　soldier's　and　the　gentleman's　duty！　of　young　Alexander；　and　of　the　astonishing　things　he　performed　in　the　field。

We　took　the　field；　among　several　other　reasons；　it　seems；　with　an　intention　to　retrieve　the　character　of　the　Russian　arms；　which　had　been　blemished　a　little　by　Czar　Peter's　last　campaign　on　the　Pruth；　and　this　we　fully　accomplished　by　several　very　fatiguing　and　glorious　campaigns　under　the　command　of　that　great　general　I　mentioned　before。

Modesty　forbids　individuals　to　arrogate　to　themselves　great　successes　or　victories；　the　glory　of　which　is　generally　engrossed　by　the　commandernay；　which　is　rather　awkward；　by　kings　and　queens　who　never　smelt　gunpowder　but　at　the　field…days　and　reviews　of　their　troops；　never　saw　a　field　of　battle；　or　an　enemy　in　battle　array。

Nor　do　I　claim　any　particular　share　of　glory　in　the　great　engagements　with　the　enemy。　We　all　did　our　duty；　which；　in　the　patriot's；　soldier's；　and　gentleman's　language；　is　a　very　comprehensive　word；　of　great　honour；　meaning；　and　import；　and　of　which　the　generality　of　idle　quidnuncs　and　coffee…house　politicians　can　hardly　form　any　but　a　very　mean　and　contemptible　idea。　However；　having　had　the　command　of　a　body　of　hussars；　I　went　upon　several　expeditions；　with　discretionary　powers；　and　the　success　I　then　met　with　is；　I　think；　fairly　and　only　to　be　placed　to　my　account；　and　to　that　of　the　brave　fellows　whom　I　led　on　to　conquest　and　to　victory。　We　had　very　hot　work　once　in　the　van　of　the　army；　when　we　drove　the　Turks　into　Oczakow。　My　spirited　Lithuanian　had　almost　brought　me　into　a　scrape：　I　had　an　advanced　fore…post；　and　saw　the　enemy　coming　against　me　in　a　cloud　of　dust；　which　left　me　rather　uncertain　about　their　actual　numbers　and　real　intentions：　to　wrap　myself　up　in　a　similar　cloud　was　common　prudence；　but　would　not　have　much　advanced　my　knowledge；　or　answered　the　end　for　which　I　had　been　sent　out；　therefore　I　let　my　flankers　on　both　wings　spread　to　the　right　and　left　and　make　what　dust　they　could；　and　I　myself　led　on　straight　upon　the　enemy；　to　have　nearer　sight　of　them：　in　this　I　was　gratified；　for　they　stood　and　fought；　till；　for　fear　of　my　flankers；　they　began　to　move　off　rather　disorderly。　This　was　the　moment　to　fall　upon　them　with　spirit；　we　broke　them　entirelymade　a　terrible　havoc　amongst　them；　and　drove　them　not　only　back　to　a　walled　town　in　their　rear；　but　even　through　it；　contrary　to　our　most　sanguine　expectation。

The　swiftness　of　my　Lithuanian　enabled　me　to　be　foremost　in　the　pursuit；　and　seeing　the　enemy　fairly　flying　through　the　opposite　gate；　I　thought　it　would　be　prudent　to　stop　in　the　market…place；　to　order　the　men　to　rendezvous。　I　stopped；　gentlemen；　but　judge　of　my　astonishment　when　in　this　market…place　I　saw　not　one　of　my　hussars　about　me！　Are　they　scouring　the　other　streets？　or　what　is　become　of　them？　They　could　not　be　far　off；　and　must；　at　all　events；　soon　join　me。　In　that　expectation　I　walked　my　panting　Lithuanian　to　a　spring　in　this　market…place；　and　let　him　drink。　He　drank　uncommonly；　with　an　eagerness　not　to　be　satisfied；　but　natural　enough；　for　when　I　looked　round　for　my　men；　what　should　I　see；　gentlemen！　the　hind　part　of　the　poor　creaturecroup　and　legs　were　missing；　as　if　he　had　been　cut　in　two；　and　the　water　ran　out　as　it　came　in；　without　refreshing　or　doing　him　any　good！　How　it　could　have　happened　was　quite　a　mystery　to　me；　till　I　returned　with　him　to　the　town…gate。　There　I　saw；　that　when　I　rushed　in　pell…mell　with　the　flying　enemy；　they　had　dropped　the　portcullis　（a　heavy　falling　door；　with　sharp　spikes　at　the　bottom；　let　down　suddenly　to　prevent　the　entrance　of　an　enemy　into　a　fortified　town）　unperceived　by　me；　which　had　totally　cut　off　his　hind　part；　that　still　lay　quivering　on　the　outside　of　the　gate。　It　would　have　been　an　irreparable　loss；　had　not　our　farrier　contrived　to　bring　both　parts　together　while　hot。　He　sewed　them　up　with　sprigs　and　young　shoots　of　laurels　that　were　at　hand；　the　wound　healed；　and；　what　could　not　have　happened　but　to　so　glorious　a　horse；　the　sprigs　took　root　in　his　body；　grew　up；　and　formed　a　bower　over　me；　so　that　afterwards　I　could　go　upon　many　other　expeditions　in　the　shade　of　my　own　and　my　horse's　laurels。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VI

　　/The　Baron　is　made　a　prisoner　of　war；　and　sold　for　a　slaveKeeps　　　the　Sultan's　bees；　which　are　attacked　by　two　bearsLoses　one　of　　　his　bees；　a　silver　hatchet；　which　he　throws　at　the　bears；　rebounds　　　and　flies　up　to　the　moon；　brings　it　back　by　an　ingenious　　　invention；　falls　to　the　earth　on　his　return；　and　helps　himself　out　　　of　a　pitExtricates　himself　from　a　carriage　which　meets　his　in　a　　　narrow　road；　in　a　manner　never　before　attempted　nor　practised　　　sinceThe　wonderful　effects　of　the　frost　upon　his　servant's　　　French　horn。/

I　was　not　always　successful。　I　had　the　misfortune　to　be　overpowered　by　numbers；　to　be　made　prisoner　of　war；　and；　what　is　worse；　but　always　usual　among　the　Turks；　to　be　sold　for　a　slave。　＇The　Baron　was　afterwards　in　great　favour　with　the　Grand　Seignior；　as　will　appear　hereafter。＇　In　that　state　of　humiliation　my　daily　task　was