gun with me, for I was on the lookout for a fox which had its
cave a short distance from the road; but it had slipped out with its
young ones. I handed my second gun to Wolfgang; we shot wild pigeons,
and my setter brought them to us, laid them down before Wolfgang, and
looked up into his face.

I must be brief, however. I have always been fortunate enough to see
something more in the forest than merely so many cords of wood. But how
weakly words describe the sunshine, the forest-breezes, the singing of
the birds, or cheerful walks through shady groves, with resting-places
on heights where the lovely valley is spread before one's eyes. It had
never been so charming as on that very day.

We met Rautenkron, and he was carrying two young does whose mother had
been driven away by a strange hound. I introduced Wolfgang to him; but
he shook his head and made no reply.

"What a sullen, gloomy man," said Wolfgang. "Can one become so in these
lovely woods, so full of sunshine and the songs of birds? But yet he
must be good, for all that; he carried the does."

I felt obliged to explain how that might have come about. The roe lures
the dogs on false scents, in order to save its young ones.

We heard sounds of a church-bell coming up from the valley, and met
Rautenkron's laborers carrying their caps in their hands; they passed
us in silence.

I explained to Wolfgang that these were Catholics, and that they were
praying.

I grasped his hand, and said, "Since you confess no especial form of
religion, it is doubly your duty, both for your own sake and for that
of freedom, always to remain brave and steadfast, so that people shall
not be able to say--"

"I know already, grandfather, what you wish to say. You can depend upon
me."

We continued our walk up the mountain, which was known as Silvertop.
From its peak one can see far over the mountain-peaks, with their
dark-green mantle, in which the ravines form majestic folds. There were
remnants of a fire at which the forest-laborers had prepared their
noonday meal. I threw a few handfuls of brushwood on the fire; the
flames arose on high. Wolfgang exclaimed: "Grandfather, it was just
like this! It was just so that I saw you in my dreams. And now I can
remember what you said. It often annoyed me to think that I had
forgotten it; the voice was powerful, and said, 'The water nourishes
the tree, and the fire destroys it; the water roars, and the fire
gently sleeps.' Thus ... and