unt of the blows she
had received, as over her spoiled basket.

'What a burning shame!' said Conrad. 'It's our Dollie. Poor child,
just look how she trembles!'

Without saying a word, Hillner, the senior journeyman, left his work.
With his saw in his left hand, and his right fist tightly clenched, he
strode up to the town servant, his angry face showing pretty plainly
what was coming. As soon as he reached the offender, his hand
unclenched to grasp Juechziger by the collar. 'How dare you touch the
child and destroy her basket?' he said, as he shook the astonished man
roughly. 'Will you pay for that basket on the spot, hey?'

It must not be forgotten that a town servant often thinks himself a far
greater man than even a town councillor. The bold and unexpected
attack at first took Juechziger by surprise, but when he had had time to
take a good look at his assailant, and to see by his blue apron and
general appearance that he was only a journeyman carpenter, all his
rage came back at a bound, and he in his turn began to play the part of
the offended person. He poured out a torrent of abuse on the
journeyman, at the same time trying to collar the young man and pay him
out in kind. By way of making up for the journeyman's superior
strength, Juechziger brought his official position into play, and called
on the bystanders to come to his assistance. This step, however, only
made matters worse for him. The deed he had been seen to do, the
weeping child, the ruined basket, and the young carpenter's indignant
story, all helped to rouse the popular anger against the offending town
servant.

'What harm had the child done to you?' cried one. 'Are the sticks to
lie here and rot, or be a welcome booty for the Swedes? Pray, how much
could a child like that carry away? Does not the whole forest belong
to us Freibergers, and shall not our own children pick up a basketful
of sticks while we are slaving here without pay? Give the fellow a
sound drubbing! Down with him, if he does not pay for the basket
straight away!'

At these words fifty strong arms were raised threateningly, and
Juechziger saw that if he meant to save his skin it would be prudent to
fetch out his purse and pay for the basket without loss of time.

'And a groschen[1] for each of the cuffs he gave her,' shouted a voice
from the crowd, and stingy Juechziger had to obey this order too, which
he did with a very bad grace. Dollie's tears dried up with w