inning the dense masses of beautiful forest trees as
rapidly as possible. Burghers and others, aided by the gaunt-looking
mining people, with earth-stained clothes and red night-caps on their
heads, were loading the long heavy trunks upon drays that stood in
readiness, and driving them off with all speed towards the town. The
wind blew sharp and cool, yet no one complained of the cold; on the
contrary, the large drops that tell of honest toil stood out on many a
swarthy brow. The household of Mistress Bluethgen, the carpenter's
young widow, whose acquaintance we made in the last chapter, were all
among the workers.

'All this looks as if the Swedes were before the gates of Freiberg
now,' said Rudorf, the younger journeyman; 'whereas the fact is, there
isn't a sign to be seen of them anywhere. There does not seem to me to
be any such tremendous hurry, that we can't even stop to have our
dinners.'

'"Make hay while the sun shines,"' said Hillner, the elder journeyman.
'I can tell you Burgomaster Richzenhayn could not have done a wiser and
better thing than to have plenty of wood brought in. It is as needful
for the town as bread--indeed it is almost more needful. If it is not
all wanted for palisadoes, _chevaux-de-frise_, covered ways, and
galleries, we can always find a use for it in the stoves, and comfort
ourselves with the warmth it will give us.'

'Hallo, you boy!' cried Rudorf, suddenly turning to Conrad the
apprentice; 'look yonder how your step-father is enjoying his bread and
bacon. Only see, too, what a fat bottle of beer he has got standing by
him! Step across to him and ask him to give you a share of his good
things, and to lend us his bottle for a minute or two.'

Conrad, who was busy sharpening a saw, looked up and answered with a
sigh: 'I am glad enough to be out of his sight. If I went to him I
should only get a sound thrashing instead of bread and bacon.'

The two journeymen were both watching Conrad's step-father, the town
servant Juechziger. As the lad spoke they saw the man leave his table,
the stump of a fallen tree, and go across to a little girl who was busy
picking up the scattered chips that lay about, and storing them in her
long basket.

'You little thief!' he shouted angrily, 'I'll teach you to come here
stealing wood.' He boxed the child's ears soundly, tore her basket off
her back, emptied it, and crushed it under his foot.'

The little one began to cry, not so much on acco