320 Ten Years of viy Life. 



the doctor (I suppose, to comfort him) said the bullet had passed under 

 the ribs and was not fatal ; but lie said in two hours, " I must die ;" and 

 then I was alone with him, and helold me that he received the shot through 

 his arm twenty minutes before that through his breast, but for that wound 

 he would not leave his troops ; and the sword and torn coat I should give 

 to his brother as a keepsake ; but I was not able to do so, as the things are 

 kept here, and will be sent soon, as I was told. And several time he asked 

 whether we had conquered ; and I could tell him still that ours were vic- 

 torious. I was to greet the officers of our regiment, and many times his 

 brother. This he has repeated to me several times ; and his wife and all 

 relatives ; and several times he inquired after little Prince Florentine ; he 

 could not speak much for pain. Then he said I should have a coffin made 

 and a cross on it with his name, which I have done, but with great trouble, 

 as there were no people in the village, but three soldiers have constructed 

 one. Thus he died quietly shortly before eleven o'clock. I called to him 

 the names Jesus, Marie, and Joseph, and have prayed for him. And then 

 I remained with him until he was buried, when his Highness Prince Leo- 

 pold was present also. . 



*JOS. KOESTER.' 



The servant, when questioned afterwards relative to the 

 paper contained in the Prince's pocket-book, which had been 

 read by the chaplain, wrote about it as follows : ' At the funeral 

 of his Highness, which was attended by the Hereditary Prince 

 Leopold, I trasmitted to the latter a portemonnaie and pocket- 

 book, remarking that in the letter was contained a paper re- 

 commended to me as being of great importance. The Prince 

 received these objects, and gave me a gratification. Prince 

 Lepold will certainly remember it, for he has looked into the 

 paper, and has read it doubtlessly.' Prince Leopold does not 

 remember anything about such a paper, and it has disap])eared 

 altogether. The whole affair is a mystery to me, as I really 

 do not know from whom poor Salm could have received a sum 

 so considerable for our circumstances. 



The sacred duty I had to accomplish sustained me and pre- 

 vented me giving way to my grief, blunting thus its too keen 

 edge, for it required all my energy. The knights of St. John, 

 the officers, and my brother-in-law Ptince Alfred, all tried to 

 dissuade me from carrying out my purpose, assuring me that 

 it would be impossible in the present moment, and suggested 

 that I might at least wait some time, or still better until after 

 the war. All of them remonstrated in vain ; I would have 

 gone to the grave of my poor Felix, if I had had to walk on 

 ioot all the way 



