The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-29


could have comprised he cleared the boat
and reached the rock.
As he struck the shore he gave the
barge a great shove and drove it into the
whirling water. Then he fed into the
mountains The storm passed as quickly
as 1t had arisen. Before Tell had made
his way far from shore he was warned
by the mountaineers who helped him on
his road that Gesler had succeeded in
landing and was continuing his journey
by land, and that he had sent out men to
search for Tell, swearing that he would
destroy mis- family and him.
| At this news Tell turned back on his
| path and made his way toward the noun
tain road through which Gesler and his
men would have to pass. Arriving at a
mighty gorge, where wild crags and for
ests made impenetrable country on both
sides, he lay down to wait.
Nov make your accounting with heaY-
en-, prefect," muttered he. your sands
| have run. I must protect my innocent
| children, my poor wife, against you. You
| have taught me to use my weapon, inno-
cent till now of human blood, against new
end noble game. Now shall 1 make my
master shot, indeed, and free my noun
| tains from your bloody handH
! Soon the iron shoes of horses clamored
against the rocks of the deep road Tell,
peering forth, saw the CLINT of pixies as
they tossed through the wood. Just as
| Gesler and Rudolph der Harras came into
| sight woman with two children stepped
| into the road. She waited TIL the riders
were abreast of Tell. Then, throwing
herself into the way she implored Ges-
/ lers mercy for her husband, who had
| been lying in prison for six months on
| trivial charge.
Away Away" thundered Geser. He
spurred his horse, careless whether he
rode over the woman and her children or
rot.
! 'I will break the spirit of this peoplel"
| shouted he. IT will crush this insolent
sense of liberty I will-God have mercy
on me!'
With a scream of agony he fell from
his horse with an arrow in his heart.
For a moment Tell showed himself on
rock.
Behold the marksmanl" cried he to
the amazed and bewldered soldiers. 1.-The
land is freel The land is freel'
He disappeared before Rudolph der
| Harras could give any orders, and the
soldiery knew well that all pursuit would
be vain in those intricate Businesses of
mountains, whose every inch the archer
! knew.
Help me withdraw this arrow" the
master of the horse said to the women
who had gathered at the scene.
WHAT Touch the tyrant whom God
has stricken? answered they, and step
ped back.
Course and eternal damnation on your
he yelled, insensible with fury, and drew
his sword.
'Stopv' cried a cowherd, Selling his
arm Dare it notl Your mastery is at
an end. We will bear no more. We are
| freemen."
1.-The land is freep' shouted the crowd
| that had gathered
LII. Il
and dangerous spirit had come over the
people. Turning to the men-at-arms, he
CRIED
There is rebellin in the air Quicki
Quick To Kussnacht, to save the En-
peror his fastnessi"
But, quick as his determination was, it
was too late. Before they reached Kuss-
nacht that night it had fallen into the
hands of the Swiss with Sarnen and
Rossberg; the Yoke-Burg of Uri lay in
ruins, and from every mountain around
the Sea of the Four Forest Cities blazed
the fires that proclaimed Switzerland's
| freedom.
self gloriously by taking Sarnen at the
point of the sword. Melehthal had taken
| Rossberg. The castelar,, who had blinded
his father, fed with nothing. but tho
clothing on his back. Me1chthal galloped
after him and dragged him back to his
1atner 8 rect. AS ne raised MS sword inc
old man lifted his sightless eyes to his
son and prayed for his enemys life.
On his knees the CASTELAR, swore never
to return to Swiss territory, never to raise
the sword against the free people, and
they let him go with the life for which ne
had begged humbly of the man whom he
had once despised.
/ While the fires were still burning and
| all the bells of Switzerland were ringing,
an imperial messenger entered Uri. He
brought the news that the Emperor had
been killed by his nephew, whom he had
robbed of his birthright, and he presented
| a letter from the Empress asking the
Swiss cantons to apprehend the murderer
| should he enter their territory.
Return" said the Stauffacher; return
and say to thy mistress: we will not
now remember the evil that has been done
us by the dead. We will not be jubilant
! for his end. But that we should avenge
his death and pursue one who has never
| harmed us, that cannot be. And II the
| Empress weeps in her palace, here a peo-
pie free from bitter sorrow thanks heaven
for its rescue from the dead mans yoke
Go! Gol Who would reap tears must first
| SOW love-
| Next Sundays one-rage classic will be
Faust" by Johann Wolfgang Goethe.