The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-04-04

around, to agree upon our movements" !. =
eyes! yes let organize and elect our
leader, s I" cried many. Il
ono; all are not yet here. They are still
coming from Dagsbourg and st. Quirfh'~ re-
piled others. l.
Indeed, AS day advanced, the pathways OF I
the mountain seemed full of people. There
were already some hundreds in the valley
wood. cutters, charcoal burners, and others
without counting the women and children.
Nothing could he more picturesque than that
halt in the snow, at the bottom of dehle
covered to the clouds with high frs; 10 the
right, valley following valley as far as the eye
could reach to the left, the ruins of Falken-
stein, reaching, it seemed, to the Sky ana
before you groups of thickly bearded men with
gloomy brows, broad square shoulders, ana
hands callous from labor. Some of them, taller
than their fellows, were red-haired and white
skinned and seemed strong as the oaks OF the
| forest OF this number were old Materne OF
Hengst and his two sons Frantz and Kasper.
These three armed W ith short Innsprnck rifles
their high CATERS of blue canvas, with leather
buttons reaching above their knee, their bodies
covered with hare-skin jackets, and their
slouched hats pushed far back upon tEelr
heads, did not deign to approach the tire.
Since one o'clock they had sat upon the felled
trunk of a fir by the border of the brook, their
eyes constantly on the watch, and their feet
buried in the snow. From time to time the
old man would say to his sons:
n What are they shvcripg for yonderf
never saw a milder night at this season; 1T is
d a tine huuting night-tbe brooks are not yet
}, frozcn"
!, Every hunter, he passed, pressed their
hands, and then joined his fellows who formed
J. q separate band, among whom but few words
passed. for silence is one of the great virtues
o. of the chase.
10 Marc Dives, standing in the middle of an
'e other group over whom he lowered by head
80 talked and gesticulated, now pointing to one
10 part of the mountain, now to another. Oppo-
~ site him was the old herdsman Lagarmitte, in
O. his gray smock-f -frock, his dog at his side. lie
W was listening open -mouthed to the smu gger
49, and from time to time gravely nodded his
OF head. The remainder of the group was CON!
AL posed of wood d-cutters and work men with whom
M Mh Marc had daily dealings. Between the saw-pi
and tie first fire sat the shoemaker Jerome o
'' st. Quirip, a man between fifty and sixty year
er of age; his eyes were sunken, his face lon
- and brown, aud his yellow beard descended t
Ill his waist; his head was covered with an ottel
skin cap, and as he leaned forward upon
op heavy knotted staff, in his long woolen grea
" coat, he might easily have been mistaken fe
leu some hermit of the wilds Whenever apyor
MO approached with news, Father Jerome slow]
En' turned his head and listened with bent brow
'i's Jean Labarbe sat motionless, his elbow res
vas ing upon his axe-helve. He was pale ma
with an aquiline nose and thin lips, and exc
cised great influence over the men of Dag
.J-A:z T. aI,
acter. When those around him cried out
49, action, he simply said, Wait; Hullin has n
arrived yet, nor Catherine Lefevre. There
no hurry" and all around became quiet.
ess, Piorette, a little, dry, thin, energetic ma
with eyebrows meeting over his nose, and
La short pipe between his teeth, sat at the thres
old of the sawmill, and gazed with quick b
thoughtful eye at the scene.
,nc- Nevertheless, the impatience increased eve
- minute. A few village mayors in cooked ht
called upon their people to deliberate. Hs
ome PLY the wagon of Catherine Lefevre at ];
arm. appeared, and q thousand enthusiastic sho
arose on all sides.
fire. "Here they arel They have come"
Old Materne stood up upon the trunk o
he'd. tree ana tnen oescehoeo' gFa'ely saying
min at is they"
lQerS
d. h. tered groups collected. Scarcely could the
steps woman be seen DISTINCTLY seated upon tr
ken of straw, with Louise by her side, when
echoes rang with the cry:
Long live France! Long live Mother
therine!"
Hullin, behind, his masket strapped upon
- back, crossing the field of Eichm
graspirg hands and salutng his friends
n. "Is it you, Daniel Good morning Colon
, "Ha things look stormy, Hulin."
eyes, yes; shall soou have lively til
'"'' You here, old Jerome! What think you of
'o'u' state of atf4irs?"
- 'no "All will yet go we'll, Jean Claude,
- Gods help"
rg, at catherine "hen sne arrived In 1Font OF
q call sawmill, ordered Labarbe to open the ]
cask of brandy she had brought from the
of the house. Hullin approaching the fire, met
AN tho terne and his two sons.