第33章

Theywenttobedatanearlyhour。AndreasHoferhadsentthetwoservantsdowntoBrandach，wheretheyweretogetsomearticlesnecessaryforthetriponthemorrow。Hoferandhiswifesleptintheroombelow。CajetanDoeningerandlittleJohnHoferlayinthesmallhay—loft，towhichaladderledupfromtheroom。

ButDoeningerdidnotsleep。HethoughtallthewhileofRaffel，whohadcomeuptherethreedaysagoandseenAndreas;hethoughtofDonay，thepriest，towhomRaffelhadbetrayedHofer\'splaceofconcealment。HeknewthatDonay，who，uptothedaysofadversity，hadalwaysprofessedtobeHofer\'sfriendandanextremepartisanoftheinsurrection，hadsuddenly，sincetheenemyhadreoccupiedtheTyrol，changedhiscolors，becomeapreacherofpeaceandsubmission，andanardentadherentoftheFrench，withwhoseofficersheheldagreatdealofintercourse。HeknewDonay\'savariciousandtreacherouscharacter，and，therefore，hetrembledforAndreasHofer\'ssafety。Helayuneasyandfullofanxietyonhiscouch，listeningallthewhileforsuspicioussounds。Butnothingwasheardbutthestormhowlingandwhistlingaboutthehut，andtheregularrespirationsofthetwosleepersintheroombelow。

Hourpassedafterhour;allremainedsilent，andDoeningerfeltsomewhatrelieved，fordaywouldsoondawn，whenthehourofflightwouldbeathand。Doeningerdroppedhisheadslowlyonthehaytosleepanhourandinvigoratehimselfforto—morrow\'strip。However，nosoonerhadhedonesothanhegaveastart，lifteduphisheadagain，andlistened。Hehadheardasoundoutside。Thesound，asitwere，ofmanyapproachingfootstepswhichcreakedonthefrozensnow。

Doeningercreptcautiouslytothesmallholeintheroofandlookedout。Themoonshedherpalelightonthewhitesnowfieldaroundthehut，andDoeningercouldseeandrecognizeeverything。Hesawadetachmentofsoldierscomingupyonder。Hesawthemhaltatashortdistancefromthehut。Hethensawtwoformsapproachingthehut。

Nowtheystoodstillinfrontofit。Themoonshonebrightlyintothefaceofoneofthem;Doeningerrecognizedhimatonce;itwasRaffel，thebetrayer。TheotherwasaFrenchofficer。Thelatterstoodstillatadistanceofsomestepsfromthehut，butRaffelwentcloseuptothedoor，appliedhiseartoitandlistened。

"Theyarehere，"hethensaidtotheofficerinalowvoice。Theofficerimmediatelylifteduphisarmandshouted"Forward！"Thesoldiersadvancedandsurroundedthehut。Allwaslost！

Doeningerawakenedthesleepingboy。"John，"hesaidinalowvoice，"letusgodowntofather。TheFrenchhavecome。"

Theboyutteredaloudcry。"TheFrenchhavecome！"heexclaimed，despairingly;"theywanttoarrestmyfather！"

"Come，"saidDoeninger，imperatively;andhetooktheboyinhisarms，andhastenedwithhimdowntheladderintotheroombelow。

"Awake，"hesaid，bendingoverAndreasHofer;"theenemyhascome。"

AndreasstartedupandstaredincredulouslyatDoeninger;buthiswiferose，utteringlowlamentations，anddressedherselfhurriedly。

"Letusflee，"shemurmured;"quick，quick，letusescapebythebackdoor。"

"Thehutissurrounded，"saidDoeninger，assistingHoferindressing。"Wecannolongerflee。"

"Isthattrue？"askedAndreas，calmly。

"Itis，commander—in—chief。"

"Well，then，asitpleasesGod，"saidHofer，crossinghimself;and，traversingtheroomquickly，heopenedthefrontdoor。

Thesoldiersstoodfourfilesdeep，shoulderingtheirmuskets。

Andreasadvancedfearlesslycloseuptotheenemy。

"Isthereoneofyou，gentlemen，whospeaksGerman？"heasked，withentirecalmness。

"Ido，"saidtheofficer，steppingrapidlyforward。

Andreasgreetedhimwithaproudnodofthehead。"Well，then，"hesaid，"IamAndreasHofer，latecommander—in—chiefoftheTyrolese。

Iaskforquarterandgoodtreatment。"

"Icannotpromiseanythingtoarebel，"repliedtheofficer，contemptuously。

"Butyouhavecometoseizeme，andnonebutme，"continuedAndreas，inagentlevoice。"Well，then，hereIam;dowithmeasyouplease。

ButIaskyoutohavemercyuponmywifeandmyson，andthisyoungman，fortheyareentirelyinnocent。"[Footnote:AndreasHofer\'sownwords。See"GalleryofHeroes。"]

Theofficermadenoreply。Hesignedtohissoldiers，andorderedthemtobindAndreasHoferandtheothersinsuchamannerastorenderitutterlyimpossibleforthemtoescape。

Thesoldiersrushedfuriouslyuponthedefenselesscaptives，tiedtheirhandsontheirbacks，andwoundtheropesroundtheirnecks，sothattheycoulddragthemforwardlikeoxen。AndafterbindingAndreasHofer，sothattheywerenolongerafraidofhisstrongarms，theysurroundedhimwithscornfullaughter，torehandfulsofhairfromhisbeard，andsaidtheywouldkeepthem"assouvenirsofGeneralBarbone。"Bloodstreamedfromhislaceratedface，butthecoldfrozeitandtransformedthegorybeardintoabloodredicicle，whichprickedthenumerouswoundsinhischineverymoment，andinflictedintensepain。

Andreasdidnotcomplain;helookedonlyathiswife，hisson，andhisfriend，who，boundlikehimself，scantilydressedandbarefootedlikehimself，weredraggeddownthemountain，whichwascoveredwithsnowandice，intotheplainbelow。Hishands，intowhichtheropewascuttingallthewhile，wereverysore;hisbarefeetswelledfromwalkingonthesnowandweretornbytheicicles。StillAndreasdidnotcomplain;butonhearingthelowwailsofhisson，onseeingthateveryfootstepofhiswife，whowasdraggedalongbeforehim，leftabloodyspotinthesnow，heburstintoloudsobs，andtwotearsrolledslowlydownhischeeksintohisbeard，wheretheyfrozeintheblood。

ThedreadfulmarchwascontinuedtoMeran。Frenchgenerals，staff—

officers，andsoldiersawaitedthetotteringprisonersatthegate。

Thesoldiersgreetedthecaptured"banditchiefBarbone"withloudcheersandscornfullaughter;andAndreasHoferandtheothersenteredthecity，precededbyabandwhichplayedaringingmarch。

TheFrenchwereoverjoyed，butthecitizensstoodinfrontoftheirhouses，and，regardlessofthepresenceoftheircruelenemies，greetedAndreasHoferwithtearsandloudlamentations。

ThejourneywascontinuedonthefollowingdaytoBotzen;onlytheprisoners，whosebleedingandlaceratedfeetrefusedtocarrythemanylonger，hadbeenlaidonacommonfarm—wagon，andsomeclothinghadbeenthrownoverthem。

AtBotzenAndreasHoferreceivedcheeringnews。AnobleGermanlady，thewifeofBarondeGiovanelli，haddaredtoimploretheFrenchGeneralBaraguayd\'HillierstohavemercyonHofer\'sunfortunateandinnocentfamily;tosavethem，shehadkneltdownbeforethegeneralandbesoughthimwithheart—rendinglamentations。Baraguayd\'Hilliershadbeenunabletowithstandhersupplications，andconsentedtoreleasethoseforwhomshepleaded。

"Theviceroy\'sorders，"hesaid，"areonlytotheeffectthattheSandwirthHoferbeconveyedtoMantua。Iyieldtoyourprayers，therefore，madame;hiscompanionsshallbereleased，andshallnotbemolestedagain。Hiswifemayreturnwithhersontoherhome，andcarryontheinnasheretofore;butshemustbecautiousandnotexposeherselftonewdangersbyimprudentwords。Theyoungmanmaygowhereverhepleases。"

ThiswasthecheeringintelligencewhichAndreasHoferreceivedonthethirddayofhiscaptivityinthejailwhereheandhisdearoneslayonwetstraw。

"See，Cajetan，"heexclaimed，joyfully，"itturnsoutjustasI

said。Myseizurereleasesmywifeandmychild，andrelievesthemfromalldangers。"

"ButIwillnotleaveyou，"criedAnnaGertrude，embracinghimtenderly;"Iwillstayanddiewithyou。"

"Andisoursonyondertodietoo？"askedAndreas，pointingtohisboy。"Andourthreelittlegirls，aretheytobecomeentirelyhelpless，andhaveneitherfathernormothertoprotectthem？AnnaGertrude，youmustbefatherandmothertothem;youmustnotleavethemandourboy。Youmustpreservetheirsmallinheritancetothem，bringthemupinthefearoftheLord，andteachthem，also，tolovetheirpoorfatherandhonorhismemory。"

"Husband，dearhusband，Icannotleaveyou，Icannot！"sobbedthepoorwoman。"Donotthrustmefromyourheart，donotleavemebehind，allaloneandwithoutconsolation。"

Andreasliftedhisarmandpointeduptoheaven。"ThereisourConsoler，"hesaid;"Hewillhelpyou。ConfideinHim，AnnaGertrude。Gotoyourchildren，befatherandmothertothem，andlovetheminmyandyourname。"

Atthismomentthedooroftheprisonopened，andthejailer，followedbysoldiers，camein。

"AndreasHofer，"saidthejailer，imperatively，"come！ThewagonwhichistoconveyyoutoMantuaisinreadiness。Asforyouothers，begone;youhavenolongeranybusinesshere。Come，AndreasHofer，come！"

"Letmefirstblessmywifeandmyson，myfriend，"saidHofer，and，layinghishandsontheheadsofhiswifeandchild，heblessedtheminaloudvoice，andcommendedthemtotheprotectionoftheLord。

Doeningerkneltbehindhim，andAndreasHoferlaidhishandonhisheadalso，blessedhim，andthankedhimforhisloveandfidelity。

"Comenow，come！"criedthesoldiers;andtheyseizedhimwithrudeviolenceanddraggedhimforward。

AnnaGertrudeburstintoloudlamentationsinhergriefanddespair，andclungtoHoferintheanguishofherlove。

"Donotlamentanylonger，"saidAndreas，mildly;"bringyourgriefasanofferingtothecrucifiedRedeemer，andshownowthatyouareHofer\'swife。Farewell，love！Kissourchildren！Forwardnow！"

Andheledthewaywitharapidstep。AnnaGertrude，paleasacorpse，tremblingandtottering，seizedherson\'shandandrushedafterherhusband。CajetanDoeningerfollowedthemresolutelyandwithadefiantexpressionofcountenance。

Atthestreet—doorstoodthefarm—wagon，coveredwithstraw，whichwastoconveyAndreasHofertoMantua。Tensoldierswithloadedmusketsstooduponit，andacrowdofsoldierssurroundedit。