him; again they try to surround him; pushing off the
nearest, he leaps upon the trunk of the gigantic pine, crawls forward
upon it, hangs for a moment over the abyss, reaches the other side,
descends with marvellous agility, plants himself firmly on the ground,
with feverish strength tears out the trunk from the rocks which had held
it fast; it trembles for a moment as if swung in a balance; he urges,
hurls it on, and at last it falls, crushing and shivering as it strikes
heavily against the steep sides of the rocky chasm. The soldiers feel as
if dazzled by a sudden flash of lightning, and when the glare passes, it
is too late! In the light of the moon they see for the last time his
broad brow in the full beauty of life--then the abyss separates them
forever. Holding his hands out, suspended above the chasm, as if with
his last breath he would bless his people, he cries:

'In the name of God, heroes, eternal struggle between you and the King
of the South!'

The rocks echo the full tones of the manly voice, and the depths of the
valley repeat it. His tall form disappears among the shadows of the
pines. The conspirators listen as if hoping to catch one word more. No
sound greets them save the sighing of the trees, the dash of the
waters--the manly tones of their young hero they will hear no more
forever!

* * * * *

Unfortunate! the glare of madness gleams in thine eyes. While thou wert
exposed to the gaze of thy brothers thou struggledst to control thyself,
because thou wouldst not their last memory of thee should be clouded;
but now thou art alone, thou throwest off restraint, and, driven on by
vengeance, hurriest forward. Thou startlest the owl as thou scalest the
rocks; she flaps her wing, and gazes on thee with round eyes of wonder;
the fox, baying in the moonlight, steals into the gloom; the wolves
howl in the ravine as thou rushest through--thou hearest not their
cries, they fly before the wild splendor of thine eyes! Thou readiest
the plain. Corpse-lights from the swamps flit on with thee; wildly
laughing, thou criest: 'Race on with me, friends!' They dance round thy
cap, and bathe thy breast with streams of pale, blue light; then, joined
in brotherly embrace, for a moment ye speed together on; but the
grave-lights are the first to die; then, a solitary shadow, thou
flittest darkly over the meadows, and approachest the castle of thine
ancestors.

It shines with innumerable ligh