, the
sheet of snow on roofs, mountains and valley shimmered bright with
each gleaming flash, it struck two below him, the tone of the bells,
rent by the storm, wailed in the tumult, and he stood, stood free from
all dizziness and did not fall. He knew that no guilt was attached to
him, he had done his duty where thousands would have failed, he had
saved the town which he loved with all his soul, from a terrible
danger. But there was no vainglory in his heart, only a prayer of
thanksgiving. His thoughts were not of the people who would praise
him, but of those who would breathe freely again, of the misery that
had been prevented, of the happiness that would be preserved. For the
first time in many months he felt what it means to breathe freely.
This night had brought gladness to him. With joy he looked back on the
vow that he had made. To men like Apollonius, the highest blessing of
a good deed is that it gives courage for new good deeds.

The throng below still cried: "Where? Where?" and crowded close
together when the second stroke occurred. They stood for a moment
paralyzed with fear. "Thank the Lord! It was harmless this time too!"
exclaimed one voice. "No! No! It is burning. God have mercy!" replied
others; sharp eyes saw in the darkness that appeared between the
flashes little blue flames leaping like candles over the slate. These
flames sought one another and when they found one another they blazed
up convulsively into a larger flame, then fled dancingly away and
shivered into pieces. The storm bent and blew them here and there;
sometimes they seemed to die out, but suddenly they leaped up brighter
than ever. They were growing, one could see that, but their growth was
not rapid. Much more rapid and vehement was the new cry of fire that
swelled through the town. In anxious suspense the gaze of all was
riveted on the one small spot. "Help! Now! It can still be put out!"
And again through storm and thunder sounded the agonized cry:
"Nettenmair! Where is Nettenmair?" A voice called, "He is in the
tower." All hearts felt relief when they heard that. And most of them
did not know him, even among those who called out for him, and those
who did not know him cried out loudest. In moments of general
helplessness the crowd clings to a name, to a mere word. Some thus
thrust from themselves the calls of conscience which demanded personal
effort, personal risk, and these are they who are most merciless in
their judgment of th