Delaware State journal, advertiser and star. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1832-1833, 1833-07-04
THE RoBBERs OF THE RHINE.

ever, were lew Ill HuHlocT, perhaps NV ~
more than adozen men and their families. 10
Where then, were the banditti who kept &c &c
the country in terror?-who, amidst the X
noise Of fire. arms that was heard over ar
hall province, carried villages, and til
even towns by assault; and either plum CO
dered them Of their movable riches, or r
Held them to ransom at the point OF the d
sword In the villages, in the towns D
themselves, in insulated farm-houses, IN :. ~
obscure or remote inns, were domlclied h
these mysterious freebooters. These n
were the body, and the former the soul; a
these the executive, and the former the +
legislative power Of this invisible state. t
The former were the chiefs and their tt
immediate attendants; the latter the great
mass Of the band, distributed over the lace
Of the country, inhabiting their own hou- =,
| ses, working at their own trades or pro- /
fessons, yet ready-at signal under i
stood only by themselves-to vanish
from their homes and families, and fol-
low, wherever they we're led, even unto
death.
They were called Apprentices. They
were bound to the society by the most
tremendous oaths--which they were bare
ly tempted to break, we'll knowing that
an invisible dagger hung over their
heads, which was sure to descend even
on a suspicion of their falsehood. A
: miserable wretch, who had been taken by
the police, and securely lodged in dun
geon, once revealed, in the agonics OF
his terror, the rendezvous of his chief
: the famous Picard. The next night,
e while rejecting in horror that, by his
S treachery, he had probably been unable
e to save his life, he heard his name pro-
e nounced in whisper; and, looking up,
saw an arm passed between the iron bars
. of the window
It "Who art thou?" inquired the robber,
,e tremblingly.
e "Thy master-Picard: Ihave ventured
1t my life, as in duty bound; to set thee at
TT li5erty!'' In few minutes his irons were
q sawed off, and one of the bars wrenched
=, - from the window-frame; and, following
70 his conductor, ne scaled the wall, and
h. scented the free air of the neighboring
torest.-The band were ready to eceive
is them, drawn up in semicircle, and
lie standing under arms, in dead silence.
y Their delivered comrade was placed in
70 the middle.
u, ".Schieikener,'' said the chief, address.
no. sing him with the slang epithet for trail
re tor: "didst thou imagine that the word
he of treason would be unheard by Picard,
- because it was whispered in the depths
sh Of dungeonP Die, coward, i'll thy guilt
n "Mercy! mercy" cried the wretch, as
Gu the pistol touched his ear-"Give me
death, but let it be in battle! Lead me
on this very night, were it to the attack
is Of any army, and let me die upon thu
u bayonets of the foe!''
II cit must not be-" said Picard calmly
ssthou art unworthy OF the death OF tn
mi brave. Comrades. shall the laws of TIL
.ss band be set aside in favor of a hound lik
me this?"
raj ssNo! growled the deep stern voice c
the lieutenant; and the word was echoe
lea by some in cruelty, by many in dismay
.n &c till it died away like a prolonged groan
nc the forest. The white lips Of the COW
mi ard closed at the sound! and bullet, pas
Cd ing through his brain at the same MI
ment, qaieted his fears for ever.
'ays Another story is told at Aix-la- Chapel
'tri- which does not satisfy quite SO we'll one
ideas of retributive justice. A fine your
was man of that city was enrolled as an a
70 prentice by the ferocious Jik jak Of Me
sen and awaited impatienty the cor
oles mands Of his chief, being DESTROYS, n
mp only of distinguishing himself in t
II career to which his follics had driven hi
smh but of obtaining money enough to en-
s of hla hin, 70 marry b;s sweethoart II
With NOT known wbethar bic we,lkness w
the o,v;n,, !, love ~, vino ~ ho,l, tonn,h,
II III but, unhappily, he divulged, one evenir
mo the secret of his destiny to the terrih
we're girl and, the next morning, he was C
: u t led by Jikjak in person, to accompany h
tne in an expedition. The youth follow
the more in shame than fear; inwardly
solving to make up for his harmless tr
sn,ee' son by gaining that day character
"a by courage which should command
and respect of the whole band.
lodel And yet, as he followed his mute 8
he' gloomy conductor, amisgiving, at tin
beats came over him. There were numer
laiity other apprentices, he knew, in AK
ta'ed ChappelIe, and in the villages throl
oil which they passed. What kind of
oiter' terprise, then, could the renowned CHI
ranks tain contemplate, in which he desi
ONE the assistance of only single unkno
ring, untried individual? The young man
lFnea vered as they entered the black shad
On % forest; but when his conductor s.
3 INC ped suddenly at a new-made pit, res
aiar' bling grave, his knees knocked tog
= li,is err, and the hair rose upon his head.
Oh OF, the ssPerjured traitor?" said the chief,
ioef thy paternostcr, for thou must die!'
j, nave 81 deserve DEATH" rejoined the app
irec- tice, @yet try me once again! Iomor
the girl will be my wife, and we s
en- al remove-far from her friends and
tors it Observation-Disclosures Won comm
n,1y trx- T ON, hpaxr va fin m