t up to the Major
with her delicate fingers.

"That's fair! that's fair!" cried the Major. "You've given me fire, and
I promise to go through fire for you."

He was very happy over this turn, and he puffed away yet happier.

There were, of course, a great many things to be got ready, before they
could set out. The Major promised that Joseph should come and bring
everything away after they had departed; not one thread should be left
behind. He then withdrew for a few hours, in order to pay a visit to
some brother free-masons.

At midday, the Major was riding with the two ladies in a first-class
railroad car towards the Rhine, and he was as proud and as happy as if
he had carried off the army-chest of the enemy.

CHAPTER XIV.

POTATOES AND SOMETHING BETTER BESIDES.

Claus and his wife were in the same carriage with Eric and Roland. When
Claus reached the line where his beat began, he asked them to stop, and
got out.

"No, I go in no carriage here," he said. "And look here at my hands; my
hands have been hand-cuffed. What now are they to do? Are they to
avenge themselves? On whom? And if I should know on whom, what then?"

He took up a clod of earth, raised it up towards heaven, and cried:--

"By thee I swear that I will emigrate. The New World must give me some
land of my own; I have long enough looked after the land of other
people in the old."

Eric and Roland also got out, and went with the couple into their
house. Then a sudden call was heard from the vineyard, and Sevenpiper
came from it with the halberd which Claus had always carried as the
badge of his office as field-guard. He handed it over to Claus,
saying,--

"Take this now again; I have kept it faithfully for you."

He joined the escort of the couple to their home. The dogs barked in
the yard, and the birds flitted here and there, and twittered all
together, for their master had come back. But the black-bird sang
louder than all, caroling, Rejoice in your life; but she stuck fast at
the second bar. The field-guard gazed round upon all, as if he had just
waked up. At last there was a calm, and the whole family sat round the
table, and ate the first new potatoes which a neighbor had boiled for
them. Never had Roland eaten any food which had such a relish, and all
laughed when he said,--

"Claus, these potatoes originated there where you are going and where I
came from; they were born in Ame