The next year began less fortunately than 1760 closed. The enemy determined to crush Frederick by weight of numbers. It was a long time, however, before military operations commenced. The King’s forces had been so weakened that he dared not take the offensive without reserves to fall back upon. Nor did the enemy dare to attack singly. Every effort was made to overwhelm him by united strength. With this end in view, in August, seventy-two thousand Austrians under General Laudon joined the Russians, making a total of one hundred and thirty thousand men, while Frederick’s army was hardly fifty thousand strong. Frederick had never before confronted so strong a combination. At the beginning of Spring the King left Saxony for Silesia, most of which was in the enemy’s possession. The march was made swiftly, for the Austrians were establishing strong positions here and there. One day, about noon, he approached a Saxon village near the Bohemian frontier, in the vicinity of which an entrenched position was held by a detachment under the command of an Austrian captain. As soon as he noticed the King’s arrival at the village, he began a vigorous fire. Frederick was leaning against a shed, deep in thought, and at first seemed to pay no attention to the firing. His aides besought him to leave, as the place was too dangerous. “The bullet which is to hit me,” said the King, “will come from above.” A few minutes later a shot struck a post three yards away, quickly followed by a second. Remarking, “They are growing too discourteous,” he ordered the destruction of the nest. The entrenchment was stormed and the captain and his men were made prisoners. The Prussian soldiers took his watch, purse, and whatever else of value he had about him, and at last cut off the gold ornaments on his hat. This he pronounced an insult, and demanded to be taken to the King. After a respectful greeting, the King said: “Your servant, my dear Captain. What can I do for you?” The captain complained of his ill treatment. “Do you not know the usages of war?” said the King. “This is not a processional. Thank God that you escaped with your life. My people are very considerate after all.” The captain was surprised at the light manner in which the King spoke, for, as he afterward said, he had always supposed the conqueror of Silesia to be a strong, imperious man.