fore, and the second fellow ran too. The last one paused a little; it
was Blasi. He said hastily:

"He isn't coming yet awhile. You can go to bed;" and was making off.

"Oh do tell me what has happened," said Gertrude, white with terror.
"Don't leave me so, but tell me, Blasi, why Dietrich hasn't come home with
the rest of you?"

Blasi had too much respect for Dietrich's mother to run away from her when
she put a direct question to him, although he would fain have escaped. He
came close to the hedge, and replied,

"There has been a row at the Rehbock. Two men were killed. Some one stole
the cattle dealer's money bag--"

"Is Dietrich killed? Speak out!" broke in Gertrude, trembling.

"No; he struck about him bravely, till one of the fellows got enough of
it, and lay dead on the ground; and then he made off."

With this Blasi ran on.

Gertrude mounted wearily to her room as if her last day was come. She sat
down upon her bed, and when the morning light filled the room, still she
sat there listening in trembling anxiety, as she had listened through all
the long night; in vain. Dietrich had not come home in the night; he did
not come in the morning.

CHAPTER VIII.

EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS KIND.

In all Tannenegg and Fohrensee, nothing was talked of but the affair of
the night before. Never was such excitement known. In every house, at
every corner, in all the roads, groups of people stood talking it over;
each telling what he knew.

Everyone asked questions, and no one listened to the answers. Such a fight
at the Rehbock! It began over the card-table. The cattle-dealer from
Fohrensee was on his way home with his bag full of money, when he stopped
in at the Rehbock, and joined the game. When the dispute broke out, his
big fists took their share in the fray. Not until two of the party lay for
dead on the ground, did the brawling cease and the combatants begin to
cool. Then the cattle-dealer discovered that his bag full of gold was
gone, and raised a fearful alarm.

Then the red-haired man from Fohrensee shouted into the midst of the
excited crowd,

"Don't let any one get away. Run after them! That's the only way to find
out the thief!"

This man had not taken part in the fight, but had mixed with the crowd,
trying to pacify them, and to restore quiet.

His advice was useless. A good many had already gone. First of all,
Dietrich had disappeared; then several fellows ran after him, and then
all th