Narrative of a Secret Mission to the Danish Islands in 1808 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1863 Excerpt: ... six of your countrymen well armed. You can save me that disgrace; come with me yourself. I am an old man, and cannot run from you: weapons I have none but this walking-stick; if you are afraid of it I will throw it away. Take what arms you please, but be you my only escort." "Agreed," replied the friendly Serjeant; let me dismiss my men, and I will attend you." The party went off, accordingly, not a little disappointed: and the good Hanoverian, girding on his sabre, set forth with his charge. After we had left the village, the Serjeant proposed to wait on his Colonel, whose country-seat was but a short distance off the direct road to Nyborg. "If you have no objection," he said, "to be presented to him, I have little doubt but he will set you at liberty, which I could not take on myself to do." I, of course, gladly acceded to his proposal, and in a short time we reached the Colonel's residence. We found him engaged Chap. VII. 1808. engaged with a small party at a game of nine-pins, or skittles. He was a very young man, and remarkably polite. He examined my passports, and found them all perfectly regular. "Sir," said he, " I am, indeed, very sorry that the soldiers under my command should have caused you so much uneasiness and trouble; your passports are quite satisfactory. But my men are so ignorant, they cannot read German; and you see we are beset by enemies on all sides: no wonder we should look on every strange face with suspicion. For these reasons I hope you will excuse the treatment you have met with, and console yourself with the reflection that you have seen a very pleasant part of the country." "Sir," I replied, " if your country is a pleasant one, it is the more worthy of ...