s.
The theatre of these childish conflicts, which in their pale innocence
reflected the great battles that were at that time steeping Germany in
blood, was generally a plain extending from the town of Wonsiedel to
the mountain of St. Catherine, which had ruins at its top, and amid the
ruins a tower in excellent preservation. Sand, who was one of the most
eager fighters, seeing that his side had several times been defeated on
account of its numerical inferiority, resolved, in order to make up for
this drawback, to fortify the tower of St. Catherine, and to retire
into it at the next battle if its issue proved unfavourable to him.
He communicated this plan to his companions, who received it with
enthusiasm. A week was spent, accordingly, in collecting all possible
weapons of defence in the tower and in repairing its doors and stairs.
These preparations were made so secretly that the army of the enemy had
no knowledge of them.

Sunday came: the holidays were the days of battle. Whether because the
boys were ashamed of having been beaten last time, or for some other
reason, the band to which Sand belonged was even weaker than
usual. Sure, however, of a means of retreat, he accepted battle,
notwithstanding. The struggle was not a long one; the one party was too
weak in numbers to make a prolonged resistance, and began to retire in
the best order that could be maintained to St. Catherine's tower, which
was reached before much damage had been felt. Having arrived there,
some of the combatants ascended to the ramparts, and while the others
defended themselves at the foot of the wall, began to shower stones and
pebbles upon the conquerors. The latter, surprised at the new method of
defence which was now for the first time adopted, retreated a little;
the rest of the defenders took advantage of the moment to retire into
the fortress and shut the door. Great was the astonishment an the part
of the besiegers: they had always seen that door broken down, and lo!
all at once it was presenting to them a barrier which preserved the
besieged from their blows. Three or four went off to find instruments
with which to break it down and meanwhile the rest of the attacking
farce kept the garrison blockaded.

At the end of half an hour the messengers returned not only with levers
and picks, but also with a considerable reinforcement composed of lads
from, the village to which they had been to fetch tools.

Then began the assault: Sand and h