The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-10-09

another's health and have a good time
in general. The peasants have great
faith in this, and even to this day you
occasionally meet one who declares he
has heard their murderous screams
and defying laugh. Many years ago
one of these superstitious peasants, to
whom tradition gives the name of
Hans Merchantmen, determined to
conceal himself during the day in the
vicinity of their supposed haunt. and
watch their proceedings in the night.
He accordingly reached the place to-
wards evening and hid himself among
the rocks. About midnight the gnomes
put in their appearance, scattering
gold and silver around the mouth of
the cave in great profusion they dis.
puted and quarreled and mutilated
one another in a horrible manner. un.
til finally, from the effects of too much
vein and beer they al fell asleep.
Hans, naturally enough, perceiving
the opportunity to reap rich harvest,
came forth, and seizing one of the
largest pieces Of gold, put it on his
shoulder and hasteued down the hill.
The pests awoke before he had gone
far, and cried after him to drop their
gold, which through fear he did, aud
fastened on home, arriving there the
next dag. He told his anxious friends
what he had witnessed, and went to
bed that night the proudest man in
Saxory. But 10 F! on waking up the
next morning he found the bar of
precious metal OH his shoulder, and,
terrified, took it to the Elbe and sunk
it, but it came back to him again, and
he ever after tried in vain to get rid of
it. Poor old Hans Merchantmen was
obliged to carry his ill-gotten treasure
with him wherever he went, year after
year. Men considered him as one ac.
cursed, and children fed from him as
from a giant. Life was burden to
him and he longed to get rid of this
worlds troubles. But one bright
spring morning. brought peace to poor
Hans,-he died.
The Pabststein, of which l have al
ready made mention, is another good
point Of observation, and is some three
or four miles further up the Elbe.
There is a small hotel on the summit,
where our party put up one night. 1t
was extremely cold, and / found my
heavy overcoat very comfortable ar
ticle then as 1 have often found it an
indispensable one since, while travel
ing over the snow. covered mountains
of Switzerland or sojourning in the
vicinity of these mighty glaciers. The
wind whistled around the house and
threatened TO send it over the rocks,
down two or three hundred feet among
the trees. The next morning was clear,
it was indeed like an early spring
morning, and thought the picture
that met my eyes as looked over the
country for miles around was the most
beautiful one. | had ever seen. Noun
tain peaks TO the right, peaks to the
left on the one side the meandering
Elbe, on the other beautiful valley
Of cultivated fields, dotted here and
there with cozy farm houses.
The KuhstaU (cow-stable), some four
hours walk from Schandau issa natu-
raj hall or tunnel through the rocks,
and is about twenty feet in height by
thirty in width, and is supposed to
have received its name from the fact
that the peasants were accustomed in
war times, to drive their cattle thither
for protection from the enemy. Near
the entrance a crevice in the rocks
forms n passage way to the top, thro'
which people can ascend, provided they
are of moderate thickness. This is
also one of the high points in this ter
ritory and is important because of the
view it affords.
Before reaching this point we pass
cascade which the Saxons, or some at
least, think surpasses Niagara Falls.
If you were not told about its presence
you would certainly pass by without