andreas hofer-第108节

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me　solemnly　that　be　would　not。〃

〃He　must　have　violated　his　pledge　already；　Andy；　for　he　told　Donay；
the　priest；　about　it；　and　the　latter　boasted　publicly　yesterday　that
he　was　aware　of　Andreas　Hofer's　place　of　concealment。〃

〃It　is　true；　Donay　is　a　bad　and　mean　man；〃　said　Andreas　Hofer；
musingly；　〃but　I　do　not　believe　he　will　be　so　mean　as　to　betray　me；
whom　he　always　called　his　best　commander…in…chief　and　dearest
friend。〃

〃He　is　mean　enough　to　do　it；〃　murmured　Doeninger。　〃The　magnitude　of
the　price　set　on　your　head　will　induce　him　to　betray　his
benefactor。〃

〃Andy；〃　cried　Anna　Gertrude；　bursting　into　tears；　and　clinging　to
her　husband；　〃save　yourself！　If　you　love　me　and　the　children；　save
yourself；　cut　off　your　beard；　put　on　the　new　suit　of　clothes；　and
escape　from　your　bloodthirsty　enemies。　Save　yourself；　for　the　sake
of　your　wife　and　your　poor　children！〃

〃I　cannot；〃　said　Andreas；　mournfully；　embracing　his　wife　tenderly；
〃no；　so　help　me　God；　I　cannot　leave　my　dear；　unhappy　country。　I　know
full　well　that　I　shall　not　avert　any　calamities　from　the　Tyrol　by
staying　here；　but　I　will　at　least　share　its　misfortunes。　I　was
unable　to　save　my　native　country；　I　will　therefore　suffer　with　it。　A
good　captain　does　not　desert　his　shipwrecked　vessel；　but　dies　with
it；　and　thus　I　will　not　desert　my　country　either；　but　die　with　it。　I
will　do　all　I　can　to　save　myself；　but　I　will　not　leave　the　Tyrol；　I
will　not　cut　off　my　beard　nor　put　on　other　clothes。　I　will　not　mask
and　disguise　myself；　but　will　remain　in　adversity　what　I　was　in　the
days　of　prosperity；　Andreas　Hofer；　the　Barbone。　State　that　to　the
dear　archduke；　Anthony　Steeger；　and　tell　him　also　that　I　am　very
grateful　to　him　for　wishing　to　save　me　in　his　way；　and　that　I　hope
he　will　not　be　angry　with　me　for　being　unable　to　accept　his　kind
offer；　or　for　wishing　to　live　and　die　with　my　country。　If　he　wishes
to　do　any　thing　for　me；　let　him　go　to　the　Emperor　Francis；　and　tell
him　I　am　well　aware　that　he　himself　would　never　have　forgotten　us；
but　that　his　bad　ministers　did　it　all；　and　betrayed　the　poor　Tyrol
so　perfidiously。　Let　him　beseech　the　emperor　to　intercede　vigorously
in　behalf　of　the　Tyrol　and　of　myself；　but　not　to　separate　me　from
the　Tyrol。〃　＇Footnote：　〃Gallery　of　Heroes：　Andreas　Hofer；〃　p。　188。＇

〃Andreas；〃　cried　his　wife；　despairingly；　〃you　are　lostI　feel　it
here　in　my　heartyou　are　lost；　if　you　do　not　flee　with　Steeger　this
very　night。〃

〃And　I　feel　it　here　in　my　heart　that　I　must　stay　here；　even　though　I
should　be　lost；〃　said　Andreas；　firmly。　〃Well；　you　must　weep　no　more；
Anna　Gertrude；　and　you；　Anthony　Steeger；　accept　my　cordial　thanks
for　your　kind　and　generous　intentions。〃

〃Then　you　have　made　up　your　mind；　Andy；　not　to　go　with　me？〃

〃I　have；　Anthony。　But　if　you　will　do　me　a　great　favor；　take　my　wife
and　my　boy　with　you；　for　the　enemy　threatens　them　as　well　as　me。
Take　them　with　you；　Anthony；　convey　them　across　the　mountains；　and
conduct　them　to　the　Archduke　John。〃

〃It　is　impossible；〃　said　Anthony　Steeger；　mournfully；　〃the　roads　are
so　full　of　snow　that　they　are　utterly　impassable　for　women　and
children。〃

〃And　you　would　advise　me　to　leave　them　here？〃　asked　Andreas；　Hofer；
reproachfully。　〃I　am　to　leave　here　my　most　precious　treasures　merely
to　save　my　miserable　life？　No；　my　friend；　I　shall　stay　here　with　my
wife　and　child　and　Doeninger　there。　But　you　must　go　now　and　save
yourself；　for；　if　the　enemy　should　really　come；　it　would　be　bad　for
you　to　be　found　here。〃

〃I　will　go；　Andy；　not　to　save　myself；　however；　but　to　convey　your
message　speedily　to　the　archduke；　that　he　may　save　you　in　another
way　by　the　emperor's　intercession。　In　the　valley　I　shall　tell　every
one　that　you　are　no　longer　in　this　Alpine　hut；　but　have　already
succeeded　in　escaping　to　Vienna；　so　that　it　will　be　unnecessary　for
the　enemy　to　pursue　you　any　longer。〃

〃Do　so；　Anthony　Steeger；　and　if　they　believe　you；　I　shall　be　glad　of
it。　But　go　now；　I　am　anxious　on　your　account；　and　think　something
might　happen　to　you　here。　Go；　my　dear　friend。〃

He　drew　Steeger　to　the　door；　and；　not　permitting　him　to　take　a　long
leave　of　the　others；　conducted　him　out　of　the　hut；　and　then　embraced
him　tenderly。　〃Now　listen　to　what　I　wish　to　tell　you；〃　he　whispered；
in　a　low　voice。　〃I　must　stay　here　to　save　my　wife　and　my　boy。　The
two　cannot　flee　now；　as　you　yourself　admitted　to　me。　If　I　should
escape　now；　and　leave　them　here；　the　enemy　would　spy　out　their　place
of　concealment　and　revenge　himself　upon　them；　he　would　torture　and
kill　them　in　his　rage　at　not　having　captured　me。　But　if　I　stay；　and
the　French　should　find　me；　I　believe　they　would　release　my　wife　and
my　son　and　do　no　harm　to　them；　for　then　they　would　have　got　me；　and
they　are　entirely　innocent。　Go；　then；　my　dear　friend；　tell　the
archduke　all　I　have　said　to　you；　and　greet　him　a　thousand　times　from
his　faithful　Andy。　Now　farewell；　and　go　with　God's　blessing！〃

He　nodded　once　more　kindly　to　Anthony　Steeger。　and　returned　quickly
into　the　Alpine　hut。　He　found　his　wife　in　tears；　little　John；　her
son；　was　kneeling　before　her；　with　his　head　against　his　mother's
knees；　and　weeping　also。　Doeninger　stood　at　the　hearth　and　stared
into　the　fire。

Andreas　Hofer　went　to　him　and　laid　his　hand　gently　on　his　shoulder。
〃Cajetan；〃　he　asked；　mildly；　〃did　I　do　right？〃

〃Yes；　commander…in…chief；　you　did；〃　said　Doeninger；　solemnly。

〃I　want　to　tell　you　something　more；　Cajetan；〃　added　Andreas。　〃What
Steeger　said　about　Rafel　and　Donay　may　be　true；　the　French　may　have
discovered　my　place　of　concealment；　and　may　come　up　here。　Hence；
dear　Cajetan；　you　must　leave　me　and　escape；　lest　they　should　seize
you；　too。〃

〃A　good　servant　leaves　his　master　no　more　than　a　captain　deserts　his
shipwrecked　vessel；〃　said　Doeninger；　firmly。　〃You　refuse　to　leave
your　native　country　in　its　adversity　because　you　love　it。　I　refuse；
likewise；　to　leave　you　in　the　days　of　your　adversity；　because　I　love
you。　I　shall　stay　here。〃

Andreas　Hofer　encircled　Doeninger　with　his　arms　and　folded　him
tenderly　to　his　heart。　〃Stay　with　me；　then；　my　Cajetan；〃　he　said；
affectionately。　〃God　knows　my　heart　would　have　grieved　had　you
consented　to　leave　me。　And　now；　Anna　Gertrude；　do　not　weep　any
longer。　Make　haste；　dear　wife；　pack　up　all　your　things；　and　let　us
go　early　to　bed。　For　early　in　the　morning　we　will　leave　this　hut。　I
know　another　Alpine　hut　at　no　great　distance　from　here；　I　believe　we
will　be　able　to　get　thither；　and　we　will　take　with　us　as　many　things
as　we　can　carry。　Make　haste；　therefore；　dear　Anna　Gertrude！〃

Anna　Gertrude　dried　her　tears；　and；　flushed　with　new　hope；　packed　up
their　things　in　four　small　bundles；　so　that　each　might　carry　one
according　to　his　strength。

Night　came　at　lastthe　last　night　which　they　were　to　pass　at　this
hut。　At　the　break　of　day　they　were　to　set　out　for　their　new　place　of
concealment。

They　went　to　bed　at　an　early　hour。　Andreas　Hofer　had　sent　the　two
servants　down　to　Brandach；　where　they　were　to　get　some　articles
necessary　for　the　trip　on　the　morrow。　Hofer　and　his　wife　slept　in
the　room　below。　Cajetan　Doeninger　and　little　John　Hofer　lay　in　the
small　hay…loft；　to　which　a　ladder　led　up　from　the　room。

But　Doeninger　did　not　sleep。　He　thought　all　the　while　of　Raffel；　who
had　come　up　there　three　days　ago　and　seen　Andreas；　he　thought　of
Donay；　the　priest；　to　whom　Raffel　had　betrayed　Hofer's　place　of
concealment。　He　knew　that　Donay；　who；　up　to　the　days　of　adversity；
had　always　professed　to　be　Hofer's　friend　and　an　extreme　partisan　of
the　insurrection；　had　suddenly；　since　the　enemy　had　reoccupied　the
Tyrol；　changed　his　colors；　become　a　preacher　of　peace　and
submission；　and　an　ardent　adherent　of　the　French；　with　whose
officers　he　held　a　great　deal　of　intercourse。　He　knew　Donay's
avaricious　and　treacherous　character；　and；　therefore；　he　trembled
for　Andreas　Hofer's　safety。　He　lay　uneasy　and　full　of　anxiety　on　his
couch；　listening　all　the　while　for　suspicious　sounds。　But　nothing
was　heard　but　the　storm　howling　and　whistling　about　the　hut；　and　the
regular　respirations　of　the　two　sleepers　in　the　room　below。

Hour　passed　after　hour；　all　remained　silent；　and　Doeninger　felt
somewhat　relieved；　for　day　would　soon　dawn；　when　the　hour　of　flight
would　be　at　hand。　Doeninger　dropped　his　head　slowly　on　the　hay　to
sleep　an　hour　and　invigorate　himself　for　to…morrow's　trip。　However；
no　sooner　had　he　done　so　than　he　gave　a　start；　lifted　up　his　head
again；　and　listened。　He　had　heard　a　sound　outside。　The　sound；　as　it
were；　of　many　approaching　footsteps　which　creaked　on　the　frozen
snow。

Doeninger　crept　cautiously　to　the　small　hole　in　the　roof　and　looked
out。　The　moon　shed　her　pale　light　on　the　white　snowfield　around　the
hut；　and　Doeninger　could　see　and　recognize　everything。　He　saw　a
detachment　of　soldiers　coming　up　yonder。　He　saw　them　halt　at　a　short
distance　from　the　hut。　He　then　saw　two　forms　approaching　the　hut。
Now　they　stood　still　in　front　of　it。　The　moon　shone　brightly　into
the　face　of　one　of　them；　Doeninger　recognized　him　at　once；　it　was
Raffel；　the　betrayer。　The　other　was　a　French　officer。　The　latter
stood　still　at　a　distance　of　some　steps　from　the　hut；　but　Raffel