d
bound up.

'It is nothing!' he assured his alarmed family. 'A Swedish bullet
glanced aside and grazed my temple; that is all. But you, my dear
people--ah! you may lift up your heads to look whether your day of
deliverance is coming; you may gaze towards the Liechtenberg, and try
to make out the beacon fire our deliverers were to kindle. Not six or
even eight, but _nine_ whole days have gone by, and no helpers have
made their appearance! "Put not your trust in man," was as true a word
as was ever spoken!'

This was the first time Roller had ever given way to repining before
the women. The next day, February 15th, the Friebergers, wishful to
gain time, resolved on asking Marshal Torstenson for an armistice,
hoping to use that opportunity of smuggling two or three persons
unobserved out of the city, and so sending word to Dresden of
Freiberg's desperate straits.

On pretence of discussing the proposed armistice, three Swedish
colonels appeared by consent of the besieged on the top of the tower at
the Peter Gate. They made good use of their eyes to learn all that
could be learned about the condition of the defence, and found it still
such as to inspire them with all due respect. When this result had
been satisfactorily achieved, the armistice was formally refused, the
battle being at once renewed; and at two o'clock in the afternoon of
the same day, the city was once more summoned to surrender. The prompt
refusal of this demand provoked renewed efforts on the part of the
besiegers to gain possession of the hard-pressed city.

Matters stood at this desperate pass, when, on the evening of the same
day, the shout of 'Fire!' sounded through the streets of Freiberg. It
was no alarm, but a genuine cry of joy.

'Fire! fire!' exclaimed Mistress Bluethgen, as with a beaming face she
came rushing into the living-room, where the disabled miller and his
wife, Roller, with bandaged head, surrounded by his family, and the
remaining members of the household were all assembled. 'Fire over the
Liechtenberg at last!' she cried again, throwing her arms, as she
spoke, round the neck of the miller's wife.

'Fire over the Liechtenberg!' rang along the narrow street outside.
All who could, now climbed out on to the roof of the house to see the
long-desired sight for themselves. If, at the beginning of the siege,
a magnificent rainbow had been hailed as an omen of good, the
Freibergers now gazed at the red glow on the distant