nd went
through the whole house, dismissing them, and examining the rooms from
the cellar upward. As he drew near the women's rooms on the lower story,
he heard, even at a distance, a lamentable chaos of voices. Entering, he
found the bare walls dimly lighted, the floor covered with straw, on
which crouched women and children. The women expressed their terror by
every kind of passionate gesture, many ceaselessly imploring the help of
Heaven, without any alleviation of their intense misery; others staring
straight before them, stunned by the horrors of the night; in short, the
pleasantest impression was that made by the children, who, having howled
with all their might, had no further care. In the midst of all this
wretchedness, these little ones lay, their heads resting on a bundle of
clothes, their small hands clenched, sleeping as quietly as in their
beds at home, while one young woman sat in a corner rocking her sleeping
infant in her arms, apparently forgetful of all besides. At last, still
watching the child, she came up to Anton, and asked how her husband was
faring.

Meanwhile the enemy made large fires, and part of their soldiery sat
near them, and were seen to boil their coffee. There was great
disturbance, too, in the village; men were heard shouting and ordering,
lights were seen in all directions, and there was rapid coming and going
along the streets.

"That does not look like a truce," cried Anton.

At that moment a loud knock was heard at the back door; the friends
looked at each other, and rushed down to the court.

"Rothsattel and roebucks," whispered a voice, improvising a password.

"The forester!" cried Anton, pushing back the bars and letting the old
man in.

"Shut the gate," said the forester; "they are close on my track.
Good-evening to you all; I am come to inquire whether you can make any
use of me?"

"Get into the house," cried Anton, "and tell us all."

"Every thing is as quiet in the forest as in the church," said the
forester; "the cattle are lying in the quarry, and the shepherd, too, is
there with his creatures. The farmer keeps watch. I crept, in the dark,
into the village to reconnoitre, and now come to warn you. As they have
not made much of their guns, the rascals are going to try fire. They
have got together all the grease and tar in the village, they have taken
all the women's shavings, and whenever they found an oil lamp, they
poured it over bundles of rushes."

"They me