Year: 1868

no terms and that nothing should in
duce her to give up her masters
property into the robbers hands.


She had just time to secure herself
In her retreat, when the ruffian, hold
ing the screaming child in his arms,
and brandishing a knife in one hand,
came up and bid her open the door,
or he would break it down, adding
many awful oaths and threats to
which her only answer was that she
put her trust in God. Heinrich, who
from his window was a witness to
this coloquy, now called out to cut
the child's throat before her eyes il
she still persisted in a refusal.


Poor Heanchen's tried heart quail
ed at this horrible threat; for a mo
ment her resolution failed, but only
for single moment. The death oi
the child could be of no account to
them, while her own death was Ger
tain if she admitted the assaliant, and
her master, too, would be robbed.


She had no reason to either sup.
pose that her compliance would save
the life of the child.


1t was to risk all against nothing,
and she resolved to hold out to the
last, though the villain from without
again made his threats, saying thai
if she would not open the door he
would kill the child, and then set fire
to the mill over her head.


81 pat my trust in Cod" was still
the poor girls answer.


In the meanwhile, the ruflian sci
the child down for a moment to look
for c0mbustibles to carry out his
threat


In the search he discovered mode
of entering the mill unthought of by
Heanc,sea. Itvroo-s large aperture
in the waII communicating with the
great wheel and the other machinery
Of the mill, and was a part entirely
unprotected; for it had never been
contem plated that any one would
seek to enter by so dangerous an in
let


Triumphant at this discovery, he
returned to tie the hands and feet OF
the poor Child to prevent its escape,
and then stole back to the aperture
hy which he intended to affect an
entrance.


The situation Of the building pre-
vented Haenchen from seeing any
thing of this, but thought had
meanwhile struck her 1t was Sun
day, day the mill never worked if.
therefore, the sails were set in mo-
ton, the whole neighborhood would
know that something unusual was
the matter, and her master especially
would hasten home to know the
meaning of anything so strange.


Being all her life accustomed to
the machinery of the mill, it was the
work OF moment to set it in motion,
a brisk breeze, which sprung up at
once. set the sails flying. The arms
OF the huge engine Whirled around
with fearful rapidity, the great wheel
slowly revolved on it's axel, the small
gear turned and creaked aud groan-
ed according as the machinery came
into action, the mill was in full oper-
alton.


1t was at this m oment that the ruff
fan intruder had succeeded in suueeZ-
ing himself through the aperture in
the wall, and getting himself lodged
in the interior of that great drum
wheel


His dismay, however, was inde-
scrihable when he began to be whirl-
ed about with its rotation, and found
that all his efforts to puts stop to the
powerful machinery which set it in
motion, or to extricate himself from
this perilous situation, were fruitless.
In his terror he uttered shrieks and
imprecations.


Astonished at the noise, Haenchen
ran to the spot, and saw him caught
like rat in his own trap, from which
it was no part of her plan to liberate
him. She knew he would be more
frightened than hurt if he kept with
in lis rotary prison, without any rash
attempt at escape, and that even If
he did become insensible he could
not fall out.


In the meantime the wheel went
round and round with its steady un-
eeasing motion, and round and round
he went with it, while sense remsin-
ed, beseeching Haenchen with en-
treaties, promises and impotent
threats, which were all equally disre-
garded, till by degrees, feeling and
perception failed him, and he saw
and heard no more.


He fell senseless on the floor at
the bottom of the engine, and even
then his inanimate body continued to
be whirled round as before; for Hean-
cnen did not dare to trust a pearan-
ces in such q villain, and would not
venture to suspend the workings OF
the mill. or stop the mill gear and
tackle from running at their fullest
speed.


At length she heard q loud knock
ing at the door and few to open It.
1t was her master and his family, ac-
companied BY several of his neigh
bors, and all IN the utmost excite
ment and wonder at seeing the mill
sails in full swing on Sunday, and
still more so when they found the