The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-29

cattle he was proclaimed an outlaw. 1 He fled to Uri. where friends con-
 cealed him, The prefect. Landenberg. | seized his venerable father, put him
 to the torture. finally blinded him ana
 then, declaring all his property for
 feited to the Emperor. told the blind
 old man to beg his bread on the high | way.
 When Melchthal heard this news he
 ragged like mailman. Coward that
 am." he cried. ito save myself and leave my fathers white head In tho tyrant's power as a pledge. Speak not to me now of concealment. I will
 think of nothing except bloody
 revenge! Among all his ironciad sol
 diers will find the tyrant and will
 demand my fathers eyes from himr What can you doi poor friendT' asked Walther Fuerst. Wilhelm Tells I father-in-law. High in his burg in Sarnen he sits and mocks at us" And if he sat on the ice-spires of I the Schreckhorn, or higher where the IsYungfrau wells her head. win force my way to him!' declared Melchthal. almost out of his senses.
 Stauffacher came over from Schwytz
 in time to hear the story of the Unter-
 walden outrage. Prepared as he was
 to call on his countrymen to rebel against the Austrian usurpationa of
 rule, he found the men of Uri ready to lend him willing ears; all the more so, as in their own canton the Pre-
 feet Gesler had begun the erection of fastness that he declared openly
 was to fastn the yoke on the rebel
 lious mountaineers of his district.
 Ewing Uri" (Yoke Uri) was the
 boastful name that he had already
 given to it.
 Whtl they were deliberating sol- diers appeared in the open place of Altorf where the building was going up. One bore a hat on 6 long pole and planted 1t by the road. A ruffle of drums saIuted it. Then a herald read a proclamation which began: Tn the name of the Emperor"
 It proclaimed that the hat symbol ized Austria's imperial power and that the Prefect Gesler ordered that who- ever passed must salute 1t with barred head and bent knee. Who refused was to be attainted and answer with body and property.
 The populace laughed aloud when the herald had ended.
 What? Bow to a hatT. laughed a iaborer.
 'Ts the prefect mad? Does he make sport of sus?" asked master work man, furling his black brows and gripping his hammer.
 Stauffacher. Walther Fuerst and Wil- helm Tell looked at the hat.
 "The time to strike has come.'' said Stauffacher. "or, shall we wait till the tyrants have us all down? Will you men of Uri wait till wonder Yoke burg fastens the chains around your
 Nay said Tell. a'The intolerant rulers ., such ..as these. rule briefly. When the foehn- wind. awakes we put out our fires, the vessels seek haven and the mighty spirit passes without hurt or injury over the earth. Let us live quietly at home. To the peace able men willingly grant peace. They 1 will tire If they see that the lands remain quiet"
 we could do much if we all stood | together" rcjoined Stauffacher.
 "In shipwreck each, man can best aid himself alone.' said Tell.
 Then you will stay aloof coldly | from the common cause?" asked Stauf- facher with deep feeling. Then the fatherland may not count on you when | it turns in desperation to defend it. self?"
 Wilhelm Tell looked into his eyes frankly. Grasping Stauffacher's hand he said:
 ! chasm to save a lost lamb Is 1t like iy that would not help my friends? But ask me not to join your counsels. I am not one than can judge or de- eide If you need me for action call on Tell and he will not refuse"
 He departed. and Stauffacher and Fuerst decided to call the men of the four cantons together, WaIther Fuerst. the wise and brave. counseled that Stauffacher call toegther the ten best men Tn Schwytz while Melchthal go in disguise to UnteFwalden and there gain ten adherents. Fuerst him. self promised to obtain a similar num- Der of sworn patriots in Uri. They set a night when they were to mset. and as the place they selected a meadow hidden in woodland by the lake shore and known as the Ruetll.
 Before they parted they debated long how much they might depend on their own native nobles. Alas" said ''the noblemen are not threatened as we are. The storm that sweeps the valley has not yet reached the heights"
 Of all their feudal families the one whose help they wished for most and whose counsel they missed most was that of their banner knight, the Frei- herr VOn Attlu& hhusSAs pdbEIOI tHuo and tried, whose love for Switzerland ( and hatred of the imperial domina- ion were undisguised. But Atting- ha usen was very old and stricken with ! mortal illpess. and his nephew and heir, Ulrich von Rudenz, had been ensnared by the glamour of the court.
 Stung by the taunts against peasant as the imperial interlopers and followers called the simple old nobles who lived with their retaineFs ls if they were all one family, Ulrich l no longer observed the old customs nor , associated on terms of equality with he free people as his ancestors had lone. He spent his time at Gesler court and was accounted apostate and traitor by the men of Uri.
 "Ulrich. Ulrich," said the old Frei- lerr solemnly. 'leave not the cause or l hy land. There hang my shield and helmet that will go with me into my ] yravei and must I think as I draw my asst breath that you wait only for my ,yes to close before you go to wonder [ nterlopers to beg from Austria as rift these lands of mine that I have ,wned as a free I@zn7"
 Rudenz turned away without word
 Unhappy man." said his uncle. T you will. What tempts you to the Lady Bertha of Bruneck. You would oeceiye yourself not. They show you he bride to make you theirs; but she will not be for you" aA efla HI1g aa l