she
asked.

[Footnote 13: The Croats and Serbs.]

[Footnote 14: The Montenegrins.] The master, somewhat confused, replied
that they had not.

"Then all our fine preparations will lead to nothing," rejoined Maria,
with self-assumed despondency. "While you are awake in one place they
are asleep in another; in one spot the flames are bursting forth, in
another they are being extinguished. Why, they ought to have flashed
forth everywhere at once. Have you issued proclamations?"

"No," replied Bodza shamefacedly.

"Then, Numa Pompilius, you know not what you are about," cried Maria.
"Why, that was the first, the one absolutely indispensable thing to be
done. You should have sent proclamations in every direction, you should
have kept the local leaders fully informed of what was going on, you
should have concentrated the whole force of the movement, you should
have thoroughly systematized the whole concern. Ah! Numa, I see you are
but a neophyte after all. Why did you begin without inviting the aid of
the Poles? This is just the sort of thing a Pole would understand! Have
you writing materials handy?"

Startled into obsequiousness, Bodza produced ink and paper from some
secret receptacle. He was humbly silent now. He felt himself in the
presence of a man wiser than himself.

"And now sit down and write!"

Bodza obeyed mechanically. Maria dictated to him what he was to write,
while she herself, at the same time, was writing something else on
another piece of paper.

"BRETHREN!

"The long expected hour has at length struck. The flag is
unfurled. The gentry want to extirpate us by means of poison, we
will extirpate them with fire and sword. The brave shall live,
the cowards shall die. Ye, who see your children, your parents
tormented and grovelling in the dust, snatch up your arms and
avenge them. Fear not the soldiers, they also will be on our
side. Let none go who has short-cropped hair. Two deputies must
proceed forthwith from every village to Hetfalu, which is to be
the centre of our operations, and there await our further
instructions. Valour and concord.

"Given at our headquarters near Hetfala."

"Write your name beneath it: 'Numa Pompilius, praetor of Upper
Pannonia.'"

Thomas Bodza, with a spasmodic grin, accepted this title of distinction,
and added his sprawling signature to the dangerous document.

Then Maria snatched up a pen, and subscri