li said, "they
started early this morning. Erick is already burned."

Now the pastor came out. The mother turned and took Sally's hand, who
tried to stay behind. Kaetheli went toward the church, and Sally knew
that she too had to go in; but she could hardly walk from fear and
anguish, and as she sat on her bench within, she saw and heard nothing
of the whole organ festivities, for she only saw the disfigured Erick
before her, how he was sitting in the vineyard and moaning, and her
tears fell so plentifully that she could no longer look up.

Churi and his officers had assembled at the set time. Erick also had
kept his word and was there. Although the companions had started early,
they met single churchgoers on their way to Upper Wood, for these people
wanted to look around on their way to church, to see how things were in
the fields and gardens, and so they had set off in good time.

Now Churi had commanded his officers that they must each bring a basket,
for there was no time to eat the grapes in the vineyard; they must cut
them quickly and throw them into their baskets, then they would go into
the woods, to a safe place, and eat them in peace. But armed with
baskets the officers appeared somewhat suspicious; Churi himself thought
so and he now ordered, when they arrived at Upper Wood, that his
officers should hide the baskets behind a barn, until all the church-goers
had entered the church and the roads were safe.

Erick had already asked twice what the baskets were needed for on an
inspection march, but he had received no answer. As now the warriors sat
hidden behind the heap of straw and had time for questions and answers,
Erick asked again: "What are you going to put in the baskets?"

"Grapes, if you insist on knowing!" Churi shouted at him, "and you too
will find them good when you eat them."

After the bells had stopped ringing and all was quiet round about, Churi
commanded them to start. "But you will be very quiet when you pass the
church, do you hear?" he ordered; "for the doors are still open."

Full, bright organ tones came through the opened doors toward the boys
when they silently approached the church, and now, suddenly, the whole
congregation joined with the tones of the organ and sang in loud, full
chorus:

"How shall I then receive Thee?
And how shall I then meet Thee?
Oh, Thou, the world's desire
Who set'st my heart on fire!"

Like lightning Erick was away out of the mids