f he should chance to stagger. The precaution was
unnecessary, Sand did not stagger.

After the judgment had been read, he sat down again and said in a laud
voice, "I die trusting in God."

But at these words Mr. G------interrupted him.

"Sand," said he, "what did you promise?"

"True," he answered; "I had forgotten." He was silent, therefore, to the
crowd; but, raising his right hand and extending it solemnly in the air,
he said in a low voice, so that he might be heard only by those who
were around him, "I take God to witness that I die for the freedom of
Germany."

Then, with these words, he did as Conradin did with his glove; he threw
his rolled-up handkerchief over the line of soldiers around him, into
the midst of the people.

Then the executioner came to cut off his hair; but Sand at first
objected.

"It is for your mother," said Mr. Widemann.

"On your honour, sir?" asked Sand.

"On my honour."

"Then do it," said Sand, offering his hair to the executioner.

Only a few curls were cut off, those only which fell at the back, the
others were tied with a ribbon on the top of the head. The executioner
then tied his hands on his breast, but as that position was oppressive
to him and compelled him an account of his wound to bend his head,
his hands were laid flat on his thighs and fixed in that position
with ropes. Then, when his eyes were about to be bound, he begged Mr.
Widemann to place the bandage in such a manner that he could see the
light to his last moment. His wish was fulfilled.

Then a profound and mortal stillness hovered over the whole crowd and
surrounded the scaffold. The executioner drew his sword, which flashed
like lightning and fell. Instantly a terrible cry rose at once from
twenty thousand bosoms; the head had not fallen, and though it had sunk
towards the breast still held to the neck. The executioner struck a
second time, and struck off at the same blow the head and a part of the
hand.

In the same moment, notwithstanding the efforts of the soldiers, their
line was broken through; men and women rushed upon the scaffold, the
blood was wiped up to the last drop with handkerchiefs; the chair upon
which Sand had sat was broken and divided into pieces, and those who
could not obtain one, cut fragments of bloodstained wood from the
scaffold itself.

The head and body were placed in a coffin draped with black, and carried
back, with a large military escort, to the prison. At midnight