m out,
he was as good, or at least as bad, as his word. Then the murderer
tried to force his way into the house through the mill-wheel, but the
miller's wife set the wheel going, and the fellow'--

'Just so--was flattened like a pancake,' said the sentry. 'She is
something like a brave woman!'

'And when they opened the chest they found 'that the robber inside was
suffocated,' said Conrad, taking up the handle of his truck again.

'Well, he received the due reward of his deeds,' said Master Prieme
gravely. 'But to which side did the two men belong? They must have
been either Swedes or Imperialists.'

'They were just soldiers,' said the youth, 'and when you've said that,
you've said all. Whether they were Saxons, or Swedes, or Imperialists,
it all comes to the same thing. They change about from one master to
another, but they are all alike in tormenting the unhappy people.'

'That's all the fault of this dreadful war,' muttered Prieme. 'It has
been going on now for over twenty-four years. The soldiers are getting
so used to killing people, that they do it even when there are no
enemies for them to kill.'

Conrad hurried on his way. He had not yet reached the village of
Erbisdorf, when his quick eye caught the glitter of a troop of cavalry
coming in the distance. In those days an unarmed person was always
afraid to meet soldiers. Conrad, however, fortunately for him, knew
what he was to do if he met any troopers on the road. He opened his
truck, took out the little coffin, and put it into a shallow dry ditch
by the roadside; then wheeling the truck hastily to the edge of the
road, got into it, and pulled the lid over himself as he lay. He had
not long to wait before the trampling of many horse-hoofs warned him
that the troopers were approaching. The men did not take much notice
of his truck, but some of the horses were frightened at it. Several of
them shied, and their riders urged them on at a rapid trot. The last
man alone could not get his horse to pass it. The animal reared and
threatened to fall backwards on its rider, who appeared to be in a
towering passion. He rode back a short distance, and used all the arts
of his horsemanship to reduce his refractory steed to obedience. The
man did not spare either oaths, spurring, or blows of his heavy whip,
until the horse, still shying but obedient at last, went trembling past
the truck. Then the rider turned the animal back once more, and did
not