by surprise," continued the messenger of ill. "Their
watch saw the enemy yesterday evening half a mile beyond Neudorf, going
down the high road toward Rosmin. When they had passed the turning to
Neudorf, the villagers took heart again, but their horsemen followed the
enemy till the last scythe-bearers were out of sight. In the night,
however, the whole troop turned back; this morning they fell upon the
village, and wrought sad havoc there. The bailiff is lying on the straw,
covered with wounds, and a prisoner; the guard-house is burned down; but
for this heavy rain we should see the smoke. At this present moment the
enemy has divided. They are making the round of all the German villages:
one party has gone off to Kunau, one to our new farm, the largest is on
its way hither."

"How much time have we to prepare for these gentry?" asked Fink.

"In weather like this, the infantry will take an hour to get here."

"Is the forester warned?" asked Anton; "and do those at the new farm
know?"

"There was no time to apprise them. The farm is farther from Neudorf
than the estate, and I might have been too late getting here. I lit our
beacon, but in rain like this, neither fire nor smoke is visible, and
all signals are useless."

"If they have not looked out for themselves," said Fink, decidedly, "we
can do no more for them."

"The forester is a fox," replied Karl; "no one will catch him; but as to
the farmer and his young wife, Heaven have mercy on them!"

"Save our people!" cried a supplicating voice close to Fink. Lenore
stood in the room, pale, with folded hands.

Anton hurried to the door through which she had silently entered. "The
baroness!" cried he, anxiously.

"She has heard nothing as yet," hurriedly replied Lenore. "Send to the
farm; help our people!"

Fink caught up his cap. "Bring out my horse," said he to Karl.

"You can't be spared now," said Anton, barring the way. "I will take
your horse."

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Wohlfart," interpolated Karl; "if I may ride
Herr von Fink's horse, I shall be quite able to make it out."

"So be it, then," decided Fink; "send hither the forester and any man
you can beat up; the women, horses, and children you can dispatch to the
forest. Let the farmer go with all his cattle into the thicket as far as
he can, and keep a look-out on the castle from the old firs near the
sand-pit. As for you, keep on my horse, which I shall, alas! have to
make over to you for some days t