tly, and the hunter was nowhere
to be seen. But the stream of water was running down the
mountainside.

"A few minutes afterward, the boy's master came hurrying up the
slope. He was frightened by the dreadful sounds he had heard. But
when he saw the waterfall, he was filled with delight.

"'Every one in the village will rejoice,' he exclaimed, 'for now we
shall never want for water.'

"Then the little boy took courage and told the story of his meeting
the hunter and what he had done.

"'It is well you did it in the name of the Lord,' cried his master.
'If you had not, our village would have been destroyed, and every one
of us would have been drowned.'"

"See! the children are going into the schoolhouse, Gretchen. We must
not be late. Let's run," said Bertha.

The two little girls stopped talking, and hurried so fast that they
entered the schoolhouse and were sitting in their seats in good order
before the schoolmaster struck his bell.

CHAPTER III.

THE WICKED BISHOP

"The Rhine is the loveliest river in the world. I know it must be,"
said Bertha.

"Of course it is," answered her brother. "I've seen it, and I ought
to know. And father thinks so, too. He says it is not only
beautiful, but it is also bound into the whole history of our
country. Think of the battles that have been fought on its shores,
and the great generals who have crossed it!"

"Yes, and the castles, Hans! Think of the legends father and mother
have told us about the beautiful princesses who have lived in the
castles, and the brave knights who have fought for them! I shall be
perfectly happy if I can ever sail down the Rhine and see the noted
places on its shores."

"The schoolmaster has taught you all about the war with France,
hasn't he, Bertha?"

"Of course. And it really seemed at one time as if France would make
us Germans agree to have the Rhine divide the two countries. Just as
if we would be willing to let the French own one shore of our
beautiful river. I should say not!"

Bertha's cheeks grew rosier than usual at the thought of such a
thing. She talked faster than German children usually do, for they
are rather slow in their speech.

"We do not own all of the river, little sister, as it is. The baby
Rhine sleeps in an icy cradle in the mountains of Switzerland. Then
it makes its way through our country, but before it reaches the sea
it flows through the low lands of Holland."

"I know all that, H