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


history.
wv ITH mighty thunder the great
A/ foehn-wind burst on the
w blue Lake of Lucerne. The
mountain storm, gray and unearthly,
tapped down the snow-clad precipices.
Cold as a breath from the grave came
tho first heavy blasts from the dim
Weather Hole among the clouds.
A Swiss fisher. a cowherd and a
channels hunter lay in the shelter of
. jutting crag and watched the noun
tain sea. Suddenly the branches above
them parted and a man sprang down
among them-a breathless. frantic
man.
"A boat boat" he cried. Cast
off Cast off! Save me from death The
projects riders are close at my heelsw
"Konrad Baumgartenw exclaimed the
hunter. "Konradl there is blood on
you"
Save me first, then I will answer
you" said Baumgarten. Cast off, If you
love God! The Emperor's castelar,, he
who sat in Rossberg-"
Two fenschiesen?" said the cowherd.
as he after your"
HE is not after me, for I have killed
him." said Baumgarten. The rest
stepped backward. Heaven save you!
What have you done?"
81 have DONE" said Baumgarten, for
getting his extremity for the moment
and looking at the rest proudly and
tfrrb FRO in Y
place would do The castelar, assailed
the honor of my home. My wife es-
capped from him and ran to me where 1
was telling trees. 1 went straight to
my house and found him there, and
with my axe 1 struck the villain dead"
Now has the tyrant received his
proper reward" said the cowherd.
Long has he deserved it from the folk
of Unterwalden. Hurry, Fisher Ruodi.
and save this man."
81 cannot groaned Ruodi. Look at
that seal What human hand can steer
against it?"
Baumgarten fell at his feet and en-
braced his knees. "Have pity on me,
pity hunted man." said he.
Ruodi pointed TO the water. White
combers CLEANED like phantasms
through the daytime darkness of the
foehn-storm. Whirlpools formed, went
spinning toward the rocks and disap
peared again to give place to others.
ut cannot be done" said he.
Baumgarten looked despairingly to-
ward heaven. His eyes fell on man,
tall, sturdy. bearded, with a crossbow
on his shoulder, who 1eaped for the
shelter of the rock.
what is this?" cried the newcomer.
''Who is this that implores help?"
"A man of Alzell," replied the hunt
er. HE defended his honor and killed
the Wolfenschiesen. The perfect's arm
ored men are after him. And now no
man may cross the angry lake"
you know the water and can handle
boats yourself, Wilhelm Tell" said the
fisherman. Speak, Can human strength
beat through that stormy scar"
TRY it," said Tell. where need is
everything should be dared"
mo man in his senses would throw
himself into the jaws of hell" said the
fisherman.
This man must be saved" exclaimed
Tell. GIVE me your boatl'
With a mighty shove he drove the
craft into the flashing sea that tried
to drive 1t back. For moment it
doomed black in the Dreaming white
of the surf; then it disappeared in tn Q
wind-swept and shrouded waters.
The men on shore were still strain
ing their eyes to catch another glimpse
of the struggling craft when hoofs
hammered the rocky way behind them
and a troop of the Emperor's riders
clattered to the shore. THE murderer
yelled the leader. 1.-THE murdereri Give
him upr'
Receiving no reply they leaped from
their horses and searched the rocks.
Then one discovered that the boat was
gone. You have helped him off," said
the leader. You shall repent it! Fall
on the herds, mem Burn the hut, pull
down and Destroy"
More savage, more fatal than the storm.
the mercenaries rode through the herd
speariiit;. sabring and shifting down cat
tie and sheep. while the cowherd sinking
to his knees and wringing his hands
stared at the sky and moaned: Justice
OF heaven, when will the Savior come to
aid our land?"
Meantime Baumgarten and Tell wrestled
with the mountain lake. It was well that
the hand that held the sweep was the
hand of one of the strongest men Of
Switzerland and that the eye that peered
ahead through the driving mist and spray
was the eye of the best shot. No other
could have taken a boat across the en-
raRed und risen sea that day; and when
they landed at last in the village OF
etslnen in the Caption IN schwytz. they
were greeted a. men from the grave.
Haamgarten was hidden at once by the