The Young Carpenters of Freiberg | Page 2

the miller's little son.'
'What do you mean by that, boy?'
'Why, Master Prieme,' replied the youth, 'are you the only man in
Freiberg who has not heard the cruel story?'
'How should I know anything about it?' answered the citizen. 'I only

came home from Dresden late last night, and I had to mount guard
early this morning. What has happened to the miller's son?'
'The day before yesterday, in the afternoon,' said the lad, 'a soldier
came to the mill at Erbisdorf and demanded quarters for himself and a
woman that he said was his wife. With the soldiers it is always a word
and a blow, so the miller yielded, and by way of putting his guest into a
good humour, took him straight down to the cellar and gave him a
draught of strong beer. Meantime the miller's wife stayed with the
woman, who, as soon as the coast was clear, declared herself to be a
soldier in disguise, and threatened her hostess with instant death unless
she fetched out all her jewels and valuables on the spot. The poor
woman accordingly had to open her great linen chest, in the bottom of
which her little store of silver was hidden, and in this the ruffian began
to rummage. Just when he had almost emptied it, and was stooping to
reach the last articles from the bottom, a happy thought came into the
brave woman's mind. She seized the robber unexpectedly by the legs
and tipped him head first into the mighty chest; then she slammed
down the lid and had the hasp fastened in a second.'
''Pon my word,' laughed the sentry, 'that was a smart stroke of business.
How the two-legged mouse must have kicked about inside his trap!
And how did things go on after that, my lad?'
'The miller's little son stood by, and his mother, as the quickest way out
of the difficulty, told him to run down to the cellar and whisper to his
father to come and bind the robber. On his way the poor little fellow
met the other villain, who had got rid of his host by some excuse, and
was now coming up-stairs to help his comrade. Well, the sight of the
boy running towards him made him suspicious, so he stopped him and
took him back with him into the mill. When the soldier reached the
room where he had left his comrade, he found that the miller's wife had
bolted the door, and refused to open it; so he threatened to kill her child,
and when the frightened woman persisted in keeping him 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