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

| sltauffacber, the leader of the cantan and
its richest man, had long been thinking
of fonenting an uprising; and his wife, a
true Swiss woman encouraged him, say
ing that even if all their wealth were
swept away and they should become fugi-
tiyes in the mountains in the event of
failure, she would rather die from hunger
and want among the hills than live amid
| plenty and comfort in slavery.
Baumgartens story and his deed
| aroused the brave men of the independent
forest canton. AS If to fire all of the four
cantons that were grouped around the
| Lake OF Lucerne-the Sea of the Four
Forest Cities-the imperial project In I'm
terwalden did deed that made men curse
his name in valley and on mounrain peak,
/ on Lake and short. He fined young Arnold
| OF the Melchthal a yoke of oxen for
trihing breach of law. and when the
! young man attacked the emissaries who
attempted to take the cattle he was pro-
| claimed an outlaw. He fed to Uri where
! friends concealed him. The project, Lam
denberg, seized his venerable father, put
him to the torture, finally blinded him
feited to the Emperor, told the blind old
man to beg his bread on the highway.
When Melchthal heard this news he
am" he cried, ito save myself and leave
am" he cried, g to save myself, and leave
my fathers white head in the tyrant's
! power as a pledged Speak not to me now
of concealment. I will think of nothing
except bloody revengeI Among all his
ironolad soldiers I will find the tyrant
and will demand my fathers eyes from
him.
What can you do, poor friend?" asked
walther Fuerst. Wilhelm Tells father-in-
law. High in his burg in sarnen he sits
and mocks at U.S."
And If he sat on the ice-spires of the
Schreckhorn, or higher where the Yung-
frau wells her head, I will force my way
to him. declared Melchthal, almost out
of his senses.
Stauffaeher came over from Schwytz in
time to hear the story of the Unterwalden
outrage. Prepared as he was to call ON
his countrymen to rebel against the Aus
trian usurpation of rule he found the men
of Uri ready to lend him willing ears; all
the more so, as in their own canton the
Project Gesler had begun the erection of
q fastness that he declared openly was to
fasten the yoke on the rebellious noun
taineers of his district. Ewing Uri'
| CYoke UrD was the boastful name that he
had already given to it.
While they were celebrating soldiers
! appeared in the open place of Altorf
where the building was going up One
bore hat on a long pole and planted it
, by the road. A ruffle Of drums saluted it.
| Then herald read proclamation which
| began: In the name of the Emperor"
1t proclaimed that the hat symbolized
Austria's imperial power, and that the
Project Gesler ordered that whoever
passed must salute it with barred head and
bent knee. Who refused was to be at
tainted and answer with body and prop
erty.
The populace laughed aloud when the
herald had ended.
What? Bow to hatT' laughed a
laborer.
rs the project mad? Does he make
sport of us?" asked master workman,
furling his black brows and gripping his
hammer.
Stauffacher, Walther Fuerst and Will
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? VIII you men
of Uri wait till yonder Yoke-burg fastens
the chains around your
Nay" said Tell. 1.-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 hurs or injury over
the earth Let US live quietly at home.
To the peaceable men willingly grant
peace They will tire if they see that the
lands remain quiet"
I'VE could do much if we all stood to-
| gether." rejoined Stauffacher
I'm shipwreck each man can best aid
| himself alone" said Tell.
Then you will stay aloof coldly from
the common cause?" asked Stauffacher
with deep feeling "Then the fatherland
may not count on you when it turns In
| desperation to defend itself?''
Wilhelm Tell looked into his eyes
| GfdSplnS udHd lie
| said:
81 do not hesitate to climb into chasm
| to save a lost lamb Is it likely that
would not help my friends? But ask me
| not to join your counsels. I am not one
| that can judge or decide. II 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. Walther FNuerst,
| the wise and brave, counseled that Stauf-
! facher call together the ten best men in
| schwytz while Melchthal go in disguise
| to Unterwalden and there gain ten adj
| herents Fuerst himself promised to OBJ
| tain a similar number of sworn patriots
| in Uri. They set night when they were
| to meet and as the place they selected
a meadow hidden In woodland by the lake
| shore and known as the Ruetil.
Before they parted they debated long
how much they might depend on their
| own native mobiles. Alas" said Stauf-
| facher, "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 Freiherr Won
Attinghausen, a patriot true and tried,
xuboea love for Switzerland and hatred Of