, 1864-01-16


al have promised to pay you" said he to
Born. "They know how to open your
mouth in order to possess themselves Of
your secret"
The old man remained silent. He hardly
heard what Sielert said. An inner voice
called to him, " This is q hard walk for thee !
Show the path, or thou wilt bring misfor-
tune upon thyself and thy beloved ones.
Show Il ere they compel thee BY cruel
force n Buthe himself rebuked the tempt
er in his heart, saying: No one can force
thee! Violence may open thy mouth, but
It can never force out the secret from thy
heart.
When they had ascended the Landgra-
fenberg, the soldiers led him directly to the
headquarters of Marshal Lannes. The
Marshal studied the features of the shep-
herd for moment, and then asked him
whether he really knew, as he had told
Sielert, q secret path upon which horses
and cannon could be transported to that
hight.
81 do" said Born calmly.
"Then show US the path, and you shall
have larger reward than you have thought
possible.
Born remained silent.
"Will you show us the path 7"
"No" replied the shepherd in decided
tone. at would be acting wickedly against
my own countrymen."
"You will not?" cried the Marshal.
DO you think cannot find the way with
out your 1t is only that l wish to lind it
to-day"
al do not bctray it" replied Born.
"You will notY cried the Marshal.
" Do you think l cannot compel your
"No one can compel me-"
"No? will show you whether or not.
The result Of battle shall not depend upon
thy will. If you show me the way, a large
reward shall be yours If not, you shall
die. Now decidew
Born remained silent.
al am in earnest! Defy me and thou
shalt surely de-"
The features of the old man had grown
peceptibly pale. He trembled, and for o
moment his knees threatened TO give way
under him; he thought Of his wife and chill
dren, but soon he recovered his full self
command, and with firm voice said:
al am no traitor !"
"Thou wilt moi" asked the Marshal,
passionately.
L 1NoPy
"Away with him then r commanded
the Marshal in the greatest excitement, ad-
dressing an officer. "Away with him !;
give him half an hours time to reflect, and
Il he still braves me, let him bc shot"
He turned, and Born was led away. In
vain Sielcrt, who, by the death Of the old
man, would lose much coveted reward,
went up to him and tried to induce him to
show the path, or only 70 point out tho d.
rection in which it lay. Tho officer, too,
used all his eloquence, but in vain. Born
remained silent. His hands fettercd, he
was led to the brow Of the mountain. Be
fore his eyes three soldiers loaded their
muskets be turned his head away. Half
an hour was given 10 him for reflection.
He sat down in silence, and his eyes turned
towards and remained fixed on the valley
and the distant hills. His cheeks were
pale. What feelings must have struggled
within his breast A tear came into his
eye he pressed II back.
The given respite was ended. The off,
cor stepped towards him and asked whether
he would show the wag. He only answered
by silently shaking his head. He was
blindfOlded, placed at q tree, and the SOL
diers took their aim. Once more the Off
cor repeated the question; and again,
third time; but when the shepherd still
made q sign Of refusal, the command
Fire." was given. The sound Of three
shots fred at the same Instant was echoed
from the opposite mountains, and without
groan the shepherd fell. The life Of Pa
triot had been sacrificed on the Altar Of the
Fatherland! The shots were we'll aimed
not muscle Of the martyrs countenancc
quivered. The soldiers left the body where
il lay-it was war--and two days afterwards
he was committed " dust to dust" to mother
earth with thousands of Prussians and
French, who had fallcn. No work Of his
tory contains the story Of the heroic death
Of this patriOt--he was but poor shep-
herd-only few peasants in the neighbor-
hood Of Jona relate his story to their chill
dren.
Napoleon himself appeared again'on the
summit Of the Landgrafenberg, angry on
account Of the insurmountable difficulties
which these steep rocks offered for the trans
portation Of horses and cannon. An Off
Ger stepped towards him and reported that
minister from the villsge Of Wenigen-
jena had been heard to say, in On inn Of
jena, that there was way by which horses
and cannon could be transported to the sum
nit of the Landgrafenberg, and that he
himself knew it. The Emperor gayo or
ders to have him Immediately arrested and
brought before him. Not an hour had
passed, and the terrified minister stood be-
fore the Emperor. He had iucautiOusly
mentioned the fact to an acquaintance, and
the French officer had by chance overheard
il.
When Napoleon required him to show
the way, he was deadly pale, and trembled
50 much that he could hardly utter word,
or move from the spot to which the soldiers
had dragged him. He did notpossess either
the courage or the strength Of mind to re-
fuse the Emperor's demand. Led by an
officer, and accompanied by Napoleon and
some Of his generals, he showed the way
which led through the Rauthal," over
hung by rocks, covered by woods, and cut
by torrent. Tho bed Of the torrent itself