of papers about
her misdeeds. Now is she ripe for the stake. Does not her appearance
quite coincide with the story of the mad dog at Ephesus, which
Apollonius of Tyana ordered to be stoned to death?" he said turning to
the Counsellor. Erastus however returned to his cart, he would have
nothing to do with the matter. The Magistrate mounted accompanied by
two men, to arrest Mother Sibylla. Near them ran the girl who had
accused the witch to act as guide. "That she is a witch," she said
panting, "one can know from her always having butter, and yet no one
has ever seen her churning. She has charmed my Peter and he now keeps
company with Sue, and my mother's pains are also owing to her. But
there is her house, I won't go any further, else she will do me some
harm." The old woman's hut lay in the woody green Seitenthal, whose
stream turned the wheels of Werner's mill. It was a small house black
with smoke and age having blind windows. The door was shut, one of the
soldiers looked through the cracks: "All is empty, she escaped up the
chimney the moment she heard us coming."

"Dismount, we must make an inventory," ordered the Magistrate. The men
dismounted and a strong shove soon broke in the door of the empty hut.
On entering the soldiers made the sign of the cross to guard themselves
from the magic arts of the escaped witch. This was a catholic custom
and it was well for them that none of the gentlemen forming the Church
Council saw them otherwise they would have been dismissed from the
service. The room was empty. Only a large black cat sitting by the
hearth, glared with ferocious green eyes at the uninvited guests.
"Could that be the witch in person." The sergeant approached, "Jesus,
Maria, Joseph," he yelled out as the cat made a spring forward and
disappeared through the open door. Herr Hartmann Hartmanni maintained
his composure, but nevertheless let his men precede him, so that they
might fall victims to any magic curse, which the old woman might have
left behind. He also took care not to touch anything. Whatever was to
be confiscated, he let the soldiers take away. There was however not
much. Above the empty hearth, hung a fox's skin, as well as other furs
and hides, placed there by the witch to be dried out. A box with old
iron seemed to Herr Hartmann to resemble the nails of a scaffold, and
the rope hanging near might have been used for hanging. Brooms leaning
against the chimney appeared to him worthy of suspicion.