bushes on the right creaked and cracked; stones rolled down the
slope, and, swift as an arrow, a slender boy in a rough wolf-skin flew
between the hissing snake and the affrighted maiden.

He hurled his strong Alpine stick like a spear, and with so true an aim
that the small head of the snake was transfixed to the ground. Its long
body twined convulsively round the deadly shaft.

"Gotho, thou art not wounded?"

"No, thanks to thee, thou hero!"

"Then let me say the snake-charm before the viper ceases to struggle;
it will ban all its fellows for three leagues around."

And lifting the three first fingers of his right hand, the boy repeated
the ancient saying:

"Woe! thou wolf-worm,
Wriggle wildly!
Bite the bushes,
Poisonous panting:
Men and maidens,
Hurt thou shalt not.
Down, black devil,
Venomous viper,
Down and die now!
High o'er the heads
Of scaly-bright serpents
Steppeth the race of the glorious Goths!"

CHAPTER IV.

As he finished speaking, and was bending to examine the snake, the girl
suddenly placed the wreath which she had made upon his curly auburn
hair.

"Hail, hero and helper! Look! the victor's wreath was ready for thee.
Ah! how well the blue flowers become thee!" And she clapped her hands
joyfully.

"Thy foot is bleeding!" said Adalgoth anxiously; "let me suck the
wound. If the poisonous snake has bitten thee!"

"It was only a sharp stone. Thou wouldst better like to die thyself?"

"For thee, Gotho, how gladly! But the poison is harmless in the mouth.
Now let me wash thy wound. I have still some vinegar and water left in
my gourd. And then I will put sage-leaves upon it, and healing endive."

Thus saying, he gently made her sit down upon a stone, lifted her naked
foot and dropped the mixture out of the gourd upon it. This done, he
sprang up, looked about in the grass, and presently returned with some
soothing herbs, which he tied carefully over the wound with the leather
strap which he loosened from his own foot.

"How kind thou art, dear boy!" said the girl, stroking his hair.

"Now let me carry thee--only up the hill?" he begged; "I should so like
to hold thee in my arms!"

"Indeed thou shalt not!" she laughed, as she sprang up; "I