e, where the custom-house stood,
made conspicuous from afar by the national escutcheon suspended near the
windows. That was now the point of attraction, and Anton saw from a
distance a man plant a ladder against the wall, and hack away at the
escutcheon till, amid profound silence, it fell to the ground. Soon,
however a drunken rabble fell upon it with wild yells, and, tying a rope
about it, ignominiously dragged it through the gutter and over the
stones.

Anton was beside himself. "Wretches!" cried he, running toward the
offenders. But a strong arm was thrown around him, and a broken voice
said, "Stop, Mr. Wohlfart, this is their day; to-morrow will be ours."
Dashing away the unwelcome restraint, Anton saw the portly form of the
Neudorf bailiff, and found himself surrounded by a number of
dark-looking figures. These were the blue-coated German farmers, their
faces full of grief and anger. "Let me go!" cried Anton, in a phrensy.
But again the heavy hand of the bailiff was laid on his shoulder, and
tears were in the man's eyes as he said, "Spare your life, Mr. Wohlfart;
it is all in vain; we have nothing but our fists, and we are the
minority." And, on the other side, his hand was grasped as if in a vice
by the old forester, who stood there groaning and sobbing: "That ever I
should live to see this day! Oh, the shame, the shame!" Again there rose
a yell nearer them, and a voice cried, "Search the Germans; take their
arms from them; let no one leave the market-place!" Anton looked round
him hastily. "This we will not stand, friends, to be trapped here in a
German town, and to have our escutcheon outraged by those miscreants."

A drum was heard at a distance. "It is the drum of the guard," cried the
bailiff; "the town militia are assembling: they have arms."

"Perhaps all may not be lost yet," cried Anton; "I know a few men who
are to be relied upon. Compose yourself, old friend," said he to the
forester. "The Germans from the country must be enlisted; no one knows
yet what we can do. We will, at all events, disperse in different
directions, and reassemble at the fountain here. Let each go and call
his acquaintances together. No time is to be lost. You go in that
direction, bailiff; you, smith of Kunau, come with me." They divided;
and Anton, followed by the forester and the smith, went once more round
the market-place. Wherever they met a German there was a glance, a
hurried hand-clasp, a whispered word--"The Germans as