e people of their weapons. The story is told that some
of them, enraged by this act of tyranny, said:

"Swords shall not be wanting to punish the tyrant so long as we retain
our feet to pursue and our hands to revenge."

To this the reply was that "a hand and a foot might well be cut from the
Swedish peasant; for one hand and a wooden leg would be enough for him to
guide his plough."

This report, improbable as it was, spread widely and caused a general
panic, for so terrified were the people by the reports of Christian's
cruelty that nothing seemed too monstrous for him to undertake.

In December the tyrant prepared to return to Denmark, leaving Sweden
under chosen governors, with an army of Danes. But his outgoing from the
country was marked by the same sanguinary scenes. He caused even his own
favorite, Klas Hoist, to be hung, and two friends of Sten Sture being
betrayed to him, he had them quartered and exposed upon the wheel. Sir
Lindorm Ribbing was seized and beheaded, together with his servants. And,
most pitiable of all, Sir Lindorm's two little boys, six and eight years
of age, were ordered by the tyrant to be slain, lest they should grow up
to avenge their murdered father.

The scene, as related, is pathetic to the highest degree. The older boy
was beheaded, and when the younger saw the streaming blood and the red
stains on his brother's clothes, he said with childish innocence to the
executioner: "Dear man, don't stain my shirt like my brother's, for then
mamma will whip me."

At these words the executioner, his heart softened, threw down the sword,
crying:

"I would rather blood my own shirt than yours."

But the pathos of the scene had no effect on the heart of the tyrant, who
witnessed it unsoftened, and called for a more savage follower to
complete the work, ending it by striking off the head of the
compassionate executioner. With this and other deeds of blood Christian
left the land where he had sown deeply the seeds of hate, and the
terrible "blood-bath" ended.

_THE ADVENTURES OF GUSTAVUS VASA._

In the parish of Orkesta, in Upland, Sweden, there may be seen the
remains of an old tower, now a mere heap of stones, but once the centre
of the proud manor-seat of Lindholm. It was a noble and lordly castle,
built of red bricks and grey granite, seated on a high hill between two
lakes, and commanding a wide prospect over mountain, wood, and water.
Here, in the year 1490, was born Gustavus