like it. Now-a-days the soldiers are the worst plague,
and it was one of them that put an end to the miller's little son.'

'What do you mean by that, boy?'

'Why, Master Prieme,' replied the youth, 'are you the only man in
Freiberg who has not heard the cruel story?'

'How should I know anything about it?' answered the citizen. 'I only
came home from Dresden late last night, and I had to mount guard early
this morning. What has happened to the miller's son?'

'The day before yesterday, in the afternoon,' said the lad, 'a soldier
came to the mill at Erbisdorf and demanded quarters for himself and a
woman that he said was his wife. With the soldiers it is always a word
and a blow, so the miller yielded, and by way of putting his guest into
a good humour, took him straight down to the cellar and gave him a
draught of strong beer. Meantime the miller's wife stayed with the
woman, who, as soon as the coast was clear, declared herself to be a
soldier in disguise, and threatened her hostess with instant death
unless she fetched out all her jewels and valuables on the spot. The
poor woman accordingly had to open her great linen chest, in the bottom
of which her little store of silver was hidden, and in this the ruffian
began to rummage. Just when he had almost emptied it, and was stooping
to reach the last articles from the bottom, a happy thought came into
the brave woman's mind. She seized the robber unexpectedly by the legs
and tipped him head first into the mighty chest; then she slammed down
the lid and had the hasp fastened in a second.'

''Pon my word,' laughed the sentry, 'that was a smart stroke of
business. How the two-legged mouse must have kicked about inside his
trap! And how did things go on after that, my lad?'

'The miller's little son stood by, and his mother, as the quickest way
out of the difficulty, told him to run down to the cellar and whisper
to his father to come and bind the robber. On his way the poor little
fellow met the other villain, who had got rid of his host by some
excuse, and was now coming up-stairs to help his comrade. Well, the
sight of the boy running towards him made him suspicious, so he stopped
him and took him back with him into the mill. When the soldier reached
the room where he had left his comrade, he found that the miller's wife
had bolted the door, and refused to open it; so he threatened to kill
her child, and when the frightened woman persisted in keeping hi