and
masters ourselves. And all shall be destroyed on this whole earthly
ball that reminds us of the time of our slavery. Come on, ye
barbarians, if you want to fight with desperate men."

And now a furious rage threatened to break forth.

Suddenly a loud, powerful voice cried: "Stop. Peace be with you all!"
Between the combatants stepped the venerable form of Johannes; behind
him appeared his ecclesiastical brethren; they, assisted by some of the
burghers of Juvavum, were carrying on barrows and litters, wounded
slaves, Moors, Isaurians, and also some Germans.

"Make way for us! Let us take these wounded--they belong to you all who
are here fighting--to my church."

The words, the look, had immediately a silencing, an appeasing effect.
At the sign of their Duke, the Bajuvaren lowered their lifted weapons;
most of the slaves did the same. Fearlessly Johannes walked into the
thickest part of the crowd; all reverently shrunk back. The women--for
there were many women amongst the mob--knelt down and kissed the hem of
his garment. He stepped straight towards the door which had now caught
fire.

Kottys alone tried to turn him away.

"Back, priest!" he cried, and threw the iron bar; and as Johannes
quietly walked on, the iron struck him on the shoulder. He sank--his
blood flowed on the ground.

"Woe to thee, brother!" cried Keix. "Thou hast murdered the only
protector of the poor and miserable--our father's best friend!"

And the wild man knelt by the priest, holding him in his arms.

To do this he was obliged to throw away his weapon, an iron trident,
which he had torn from the hand of a Neptune at the fountain. Nearly
all his comrades followed this example. Kottys threw the rod on the
ground, and entreated:

"Pardon me, Father Johannes!"

The priest raised himself. "Thou hast repented, therefore God has
forgiven thee. Who am I--a sinner--that _I_ should forgive?"

He now stepped unhindered to the door, threw down the torches, picked
up one of the broad shields, pressed it with the right hand against the
burning door, raised imploringly the left towards heaven, and said:

"Fire! thou also art a creature and a servant of God the Lord! I
command thee--I adjure thee, thou hellish demon of flame, retire hence
into hell."

The fire was then extinguished. Johannes let the shield fall, and
turned again to the crowd; his face was radiant with the glory of the
deepest conviction.

"A wonder! A miracle of the Lord