and said that the writer, a poor
labourer with ten children, had received the boy in 1812, and had kept
him shut up in his house for sixteen years, not allowing him to see or
know anything; that he could keep him no longer, and so sent him to the
captain, who could make a soldier of him, hang him, or put him up the
chimney, just as he chose. He added that the boy knew nothing and could
tell nothing, but was quick at learning. Enclosed was a letter giving
the date of the boy's birth (April 30, 1812), and purporting to be
written by the mother; but the writing, paper, and ink all showed that
the two letters were by the same person.

The captain could make nothing of this mysterious letter, but went to
the stable, where he found the stranger still asleep. After many pushes,
kicks, and thumps he awoke. When asked his name and where he came from,
he made some sounds, which were at last understood to be, 'Want to be a
soldier, as father was;' 'Don't know;' and 'Horse home.' These sentences
he repeated over and over again like a parrot, and at last the captain
decided to send his new recruit to the police office. Here he was asked
his name, where he came from, &c., &c., but the result of the police
inspector's questioning was the same: the stranger repeated his three
sentences, and at last, in despair of getting any sensible reply from
him, he was put into a cell in the west tower of the prison where
vagrants were kept. This cell he shared with another prisoner, a butcher
boy, who was ordered to watch him carefully, as the police naturally
suspected him of being an impostor. He slept soundly through the night
and woke at sunrise. He spent the greater part of the day sitting on the
floor taking no notice of anything, but at last the gaoler gave him a
sheet of paper and a pencil to play with. These he seized with pleasure
and carried them off to a seat; nor did he stop writing until he had
covered the paper with letters and syllables, arranged just as they
would be in a copy-book. Among the letters were three complete words,
'Kaspar Hauser,' and 'reiter' (horse soldier). 'Kaspar Hauser' was
evidently his name, though he did not recognise it when called by it.

[Illustration]

The news of the strange arrival spread through the city. The
guard-house, where he spent part of the day, was thronged by a curious
crowd, anxious to see this strange creature, who looked at things
without seeing them, who could not bear a strong light, w