When Tököly was approaching through Wallachia with his forces, Heissler quickly closed all the passes, and placed three regiments at the Iron Gates, while he himself took up a position in the Pass of Bozza, and there pitched his camp amidst the mountains.
The encamped forces were merry and sprightly enough, there was lots to eat and drink of all sorts, and the Szeklers were quite close to their wives and houses, so that they did not feel a bit homesick—only Teleki was perpetually dissatisfied. He would have liked the forces to be marching continually from one pass to another and sentinels to be standing on guard night and day on every footpath which led into the kingdom.
The third week after the camp had been pitched at Bozza he suddenly said to the general with a very anxious face:
“Sir, what if Tököly were to appear at some other gate of the kingdom while we are lying here?”
“Every avenue is closed against him,” answered Heissler.
“But suppose he got in before we came here?”
“The trouble then would not be how he got in but how he could get out again.”
But Teleki wanted to show that he also knew something of the science of warfare, so he said with the grave face of an habitual counsellor:
“I do not think it expedient that we worthy soldiers should be crammed up into a corner of the kingdom. In my opinion it would be much safer if, after guarding every pass, we took up a position equidistant between Törcsvár and Bozza.”
Now for once Teleki was right, but for that very reason Heissler was all the more put out. It was intolerable that a lay-general should suggest something to him which he could not gainsay.
And the worst of it was Teleki would not leave the general alone. “I am participating in nothing here,” said he, “make use of me, give me something to do, and I will do it—occupation is what I want.”
“I’ll give it you at once,” said Heissler, and putting his arm through Teleki’s he led him to his tent, there made him sit down beside him at a round table, sent one of the yawning guards to summon Noscher, Magni, Doria and the other generals, made them sit down by the side of Teleki, sat down at the table himself, and drawing a pack of cards from his pocket, gave it to Teleki with the words:
“Here’s some occupation for you—you deal!”
“What, sir!” burst forth Teleki, quite upset by the jest, “play at cards when the enemy stands before us?”
“How can we be better employed when the enemy is not before us? Do you know how to play at landsknecht?”
“I do not.”
“Then we’ll teach you.”
And they did teach him, for in a couple of hours they had won from him a couple of hundred ducats, whereupon Teleki, on the pretext that he had no more money, retired from the game.
It was not the loss of a little money which vexed him so much as the scant respect paid to his counsels.
The other gentlemen continued the game. Heissler suddenly by a grand coup won all the ready-money of the other generals, so that at last there was a great heap of thalers and ducats in front of him, and his three-cornered hat was filled to the brim with money.
The losing party tried to console itself with jests.
“Well, well! lucky at cards, luckless in love!”
“Eh!” said Heissler, sweeping together his winnings, “I have only had one love in my life, and that is on a battlefield, but there I have always been lucky.”
At that moment a rapid galloping was heard, and after a brief parley with the guard outside, a dusty dragoon courier entered the tent and whispered breathlessly in Heissler’s ear:
“Tököly’s advance guard is before Törcsvár, it attacked and cut down the troops posted in the pass, only the Szeklers still hold out; if we don’t come quickly the pass will be taken.”
Heissler suddenly swept the cards from the table, and snatching up his hat so that the money in it rolled away in every direction, he clapped it on his head, and drawing his sword exclaimed: “To horse, gentlemen! Quick! Towards Törcsvár! We shall arrive in good time, I know!”
“Well! wasn’t I right?” growled Teleki.
“Oh, there’s no harm done! Blow the trumpets, we must strike our tents; let the camp fires burn, and at the third sound of the trumpet let everyone advance towards Törcsvár. A company and a couple of mortars will be enough to guard the pass. All right now, Mr. Michael Teleki!”
Then he also took horse. Teleki too hastened back to his levies, and soon the whole host was trotting on in the dark towards Törcsvár.
It was the 19th August, such a silent summer night that not a leaf was stirring. Against the beautiful starry sky rose the majestic snowy Alps which encircle Transylvania within their mighty chain; everything was still, only now and then through the melancholy night resounded the din and bustle of the warriors hurrying towards Törcsvár.
Here in the mountain-chasm a wide opening is visible which presently contracts so much that two carriages can scarce advance along it abreast. The road goes deep down between two rocks, and if a few hundred resolute and determined men planted themselves in that place, they could hold it against the largest armies.
On the other side of Moldavia, looking downwards, could be seen the campfires of the hosts of Tököly, who was encamped on the farther side of the Alps, occupying a vast extent of ground.
In front all was dark. After the first surprise caused by some hundreds of dragoons who had penetrated into Moldavia, the Szeklers had quickly blocked the pass by felling trees across it, retired to the mountain summits, and received the advancing Tartars with such showers of stones that they were compelled to desist from any further advance and turn
