Litchfield enquirer., 1855-04-19

excitement ahat these names were our pass words and not our war-cry. " Burschen - cried Laurenberg, as he drove into a corner one of the enemy armed with dagger and a sword. |" Burschen !'' cried he again, as he passed his weapon twice through the robber's body. Jenar' yelled Richter, as his left arm, which he interposed to de- fend his head, was broken by blow from an iron bar. And " Goifingen" added he with roar, as he laid his assailant at his feet. Meanwhile the Pole and had sus- tained fierce attack from three robbers, who on hearing the cries and clashing of arms, had rushed out of one of the doors opening into the hall The Pole was al- ready slightly wounded, and it was goiuG hard with us, when the others came to our assistance. This decided the fight, and we found ourselves victors.
 We had gained the victory, repeat, and all the robbers lay about the floor killed or wounded. We stood still moment to take breath. At this instant the girl of the previous night rushed into the hall, and threw herself on the body of the man who had fallen by the hand of Laurenberg. She put her hand on his heart !; then she ap- preached her cheek to his mouth. He Is dead !' cried she, starting to her feet " Y ou have killed my Heinrich, my beloved Heinrich! dead, dead, dead!'' Still speak, ing she disappeared, but returned almost instantly, pistol in each hand. "lt was you, young sir," said she. calmly and de- liberately. "I saw you;'' and, as she spoke, she covered Laurenberg with her weapon, taking cool aim. With bound Macdonald threw himself before the victim. But the generous movement was vain. She fired, and the ball, grazing Macdonald's shoulder. passed through poor Laurenberg's throat and lodged in a door behind him. He staggered and fell. We all stood thun- Jer-struck. "Your life for his and mine" !" said the girl. With these words she dis charged her other pistol into her bosom, and sank slowly on the corpse of her lover.
 knelt down beside my friend, and took his hand. Macdonald raised him up a little, supporting him in sitting posture.- He said, "My pocket-book-the letter. my last wish." Then he pressed my hand. Again he said, " Farewell, comrades fare- well, my brothers! Remember me to my mother and Anna" Then he pressed my hand again. And 50 he died.
 need dwell but lightly on tho after events of that murderous night. On exam inlng the field of battle, we found that the robbers were nine in number, and that two besides Heinrich were dead. We bound up the wounds of the others as well as we could, and secured them for the night in one of the rooms, after fastening the windows, and providing in every possible way against escape or attack. Returning to the room where we had supped, we found that the thing which had fallen from the roof with such crash was an enormous ring or cir cle of iron, bigger than cart-wheel. It was lying on our beds, the mast being ex- actly in the centre of it, and serving, as we found, to sustain it when hoisted up. Had we not obeycd Macdonald's voice, we cer- tanly should all have been crushed to death, as it was plain many victim had already been; for the internal thing was stained with blood, and in some places patches of hair were still sticking to it.
 The journey to Arnstadt in the morning, the interview with the brrgomeister, the reference to the rural amptman, the expe- dition of that functionary to the scene of the tragedy, the imprisonment of the sur viving robbers. their trial, confession, and execution, will not detail. From the let l ter to which Laurenberg refereed with his latest breath, and which we found in his pocket book addressed to me, We learned that Macdonald's presentiments were weigh l ing on the writer's mind more than he was willing should be known until the antici- pated catastrophe. if, indeed, any should take place. Neither need l relate to you how, after burying our poor comrade, per- formed the sad'duty of bearing the news of his death 10 his mother and sister, or how Anna, in tree years afterwards, became my wife. As to my other comrades in tbat disastrous tour, the Frenchman rose to high rank in the service of Napoleon, and fell at Waterloo. Richter was killed In duel. The Pole died amid the sno~s of Prussian EyIau. Of Macdonald's fate know noth- ing. When l returned 10 Gottingen after visiting Anna and her mother he was gone. He had left his rooms the previous day with a stranger, an elderly man, dressed in gray. He never returned. l made every inquiry all round Gottingen, but could get no ti- dings of him. No one on any road had seen him or his companion pass. His BOOKS ana things were soid soHIc two UT three months after. 1 bought everything thought he cared for. in order some day to restore them to him. But l,e has never appeared to claim them, and so lhave them still. His sword hangs in my study, be- tween Laurenberg's and my own.
 As regards the old woman,I had almost forgotten to say that We found her clothes, but not herself. Hence we guessed that some one of the gang had personated the character; and Macdonald reminded us how the girl had prevented his approaching her supposed relative, and how he had got no answer to his address, the man in dis guise being probably afraid that his voice might betray him..
 SonE PsocaEss.-A law has just passed bv the Maine T.epislature requiring the na-