h no, it was not
so simple as the lord of the manor thought! It might be a good while
yet before the big estate was "rounded off."

Franz Vogt opened the mouth of the sack and shook out a portion of the
seed-corn. The two cows stood chewing the cud by the wayside. He turned
to the field.

The sun shone gaily as it mounted upwards. The black earth lay ready
and receptive; above the furrows hovered a light mist, and an
invigorating aroma ascended from the soil, like incense offered by the
maternal earth to the engendering sun to celebrate the new year of
fruitfulness that was just beginning.

The untiring force of nature was in this fragrance, shedding courage
and strength into the hearts of mankind with the full benediction of
spring.

An overpowering sensation made the young peasant fall on his knees, and
he touched the earth with reverent caressing hands as though it were
something sacred.

He had found his home again.

A troop of hired labourers, strangers from Galicia, were approaching a
field in the neighbouring property of the manor. They followed each
other wearily like a band of slaves, unwilling and half asleep. Behind
them came the inspector.

"Avanti, avanti!" he cried, supposing, apparently, that this was
Polish.

And the strangers set to work. Their heads were bowed wearily, and
their movements resembled the automatism of a machine.

But Franz Vogt stepped out into the broad sunshine with head erect, and
strewed the seed into the furrows of his land with a free sweep of his
outstretched arm.

Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
London & Edinburgh.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of 'Jena' or 'Sedan'?, by Franz Beyerlein

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