andreas hofer-第35节

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darling；　let　the　men　fight　it　out　alone；　stay　here！〃

〃No；　Elza；　I　must　go　with　them。　My　honor　requires　it；　and　forbids　me
to　stay　at　our　house　with　Ulrich　von　Hohenberg；　for　whose　sake　my
father　called　me　publicly　to…day　a　recreant　daughter　of　the　Tyrol；
and　threatened　to　disown　me　forever。　I　must　prove　to　all　the　world
that　I　am　a　loyal　daughter　of　the　Tyrol；　and　I　feel；　Elza；　that　it
will　do　me　good　to　contribute　my　mite　to　the　deliverance　of　the
fatherland。　I　am　not　gentle　and　patient　enough　to　sit　quietly　at
home　and　wait　until　dear　Liberty　looks　into　my　door　and　says　to　me；
'God　bless　you；　Lizzie！　I　am　here　now。　and　you　also　may　profit　by
the　happiness　which　will　be　caused　by　my　arrival。'　No；　Elza；　I　must
go　with　my　father；　I　must　help　him　to　find　this　dear　Liberty　on　the
mountains　and　in　the　valleys；　and　must　say　to　her；　'God　bless　thee；
Liberty！　I　am　here　now；　and　thou　mayst　profit　by　my　strength；　and　I
will　help　thee　that　thou　mayst　rule　again　over　the　mountains　and
valleys　of　our　dear　Tyrol。'〃

〃Oh；　Lizzie；　you　are　a　genuine　heroine！〃　exclaimed　Elza；　〃I　blush　to
think　that　I　shall　not　accompany　you　and　fight　by　your　side　for
Liberty。〃

〃You　cannot；〃　said　Lizzie；　gravely。　〃You　have　an　aged　father　who
will　stay　at　home；　and　whom　you　must　take　care　of；　and　the　poor　and
sick　count　upon　you；　for　they　know　that　Elza　will　always　be　their
good　angel。　Stay　at　home　and　pray　for　me。　But　never　go　down　to　my
father's　house；　do　not　inquire　for　Ulrich；　and　do　not　try　to　have
him　brought　to　the　castle　here。　He　is　under　Schroepfel's
surveillance；　and　Schroepfel　would　shoot　him　if　he　should　suspect
that　all　is　not　as　it　should　be。　But　if　God　should　decree　my　death；
Elza；　Ulrich　would　be　free　at　once；　and　my　father　would　not　injure
him；　inasmuch　as　he　was　his　Lizzie's　affianced　bridegroom。　He　would
set　him　free。　Ulrich　would　then　come　to　you；　and；　Elza；　you　will
tell　him　not　to　think　that　Lizzie　Wallner　was　a　bad　girl；　and　that
she　was　intent　only　on　getting　an　aristocratic　husband。　You　will
tell　him　that　my　sole　object　was　to　save　his　life；　and　that　I　never
thought　of　marrying　him。　You　will　tell　him　also　that　I　forgave　him
the　injury　which　he　did　me　to…day；　and　that　I　shall　pray　to　God
Almighty　for　him。　And　when　you　stand　before　God's　altar；　and　the
priest　joins　your　hands；　think　of　me；　and　do　not　forget　that　I　loved
you；　dearest　Elza；　better　than　any　once　else　on　earth。　And　now；
farewell；　Elza；　I　shall　not　kiss　you　again；　for　it　makes　my　heart
heavy。〃

〃Lizzie；　Lizzie！〃　shouted　a　powerful　voice　outside　at　this　moment；
〃Lizzie；　where　are　you？　'Tis　time　to　set　out！〃

〃Here　I　am；　dear　father！〃　exclaimed　Lizzie；　stepping　quickly　out　on
the　balcony。　〃I　shall　come　down　to　you　now。　I　was　only　taking　leave
of　Elza。　Now　I　am　ready　to　set　out　and　fight　for　the　dear　Tyrol　and
the　dear　Emperor　Francis！〃

〃Hurrah；　we　will　do　so！〃　cried　the　Tyrolese。　〃We　will　fight　for　the
dear　Tyrol　and　the　dear　Emperor　Francis！　Hurrah！　We　will　expel　the
Bavarians！　Hurrah！　the　Austrians　are　coming！　Hurrah！　the　Tyrol　will
be　free　again！〃




CHAPTER　XIV。

THE　BRIDGE　OF　ST。　LAWRENCE。


Anthony　Wallner　and　his　men　marched　all　day　and　all　night　through
the　Puster　valley；　along　the　road　to　the　Muhlbach　pass。　His　daughter
Eliza；　and　young　John　Panzl；　his　friend　and　sympathizer；　walked　by
his　side；　and　behind　him　marched　the　brave　Tyrolese；　whose　force
gained　strength　at　every　step　as　it　advanced；　and　who；　amidst　the
most　enthusiastic　acclamations；　appointed　Anthony　Wallner　commander…
in…chief　of　the　men　of　the　Puster　Valley；　and　John　Panzl　his
lieutenant　and　assistant。

〃I　accept　the　position；　my　friends；〃　said　Wallner；　taking　off　his
hat　and　kindly　greeting　the　men；　〃yes；　I　accept　the　position；　and
will　be　your　commander；　and　will　always　lead　you　faithfully　and
honestly　against　the　enemy。　But　will　you　always　follow　me？　Will　you
not　be　afraid　of　the　enemy's　fire；　and　take　to　your　heels　before　his
artillery？〃

〃No；　we　will　not；〃　shouted　the　brave　men；　〃we　will　stand　by　you
faithfully；　and　fight　with　you　for　the　fatherland　and　the　emperor！〃

〃That　is　right；　men；〃　cried　John　Panzl；　making　a　leap　which　drew
loud　exclamations　of　admiration　from　the　Tyrolese。　〃I　tell　you　it　is
right　in　you　to　think　so；　and　therefore　I　will　likewise　joyfully
accept　the　honor　which　you　have　offered　to　me；　I　will　be　your　second
commander；　will　always　obey　the　orders　of　our　brave　commander…in…
chief；　and　assist　him　and　you　in　driving　the　enemy　from　our　country；
for　the　glory　of　God　and　our　emperor。　Ah；　my　dear　Tyrolese；　I　would
we　could　catch　the　French　and　the　Boafoks　at　length；　take　them　by
the　neck；　and　hurl　them　out　of　the　country。　I　tell　you；　after　we
have　done　it；　I　shall　dance　so　merrily　with　Eliza　Wallner；　my　dear
cousin；　that　the　snowy　heads　of　the　Gross…Glockner　and　Venediger
will　become　warm　and　melt　with　delight。　Lizzie；　we　two；　the　most
celebrated　dancers　of　the　whole　Puster　valley；　will　perform　a　dance
in　honor　of　our　victory；　will　we　not？〃

〃We　will；　Cousin　Panzl；〃　said　Eliza；　smiling。　〃But　before　dancing；
we　must　march　on　and　never　run　back。〃

〃No；　never　run　back；〃　shouted　the　merry　and　courageous　Tyrolese。

〃Forward；　then；　forward！〃　commanded　Anthony　Wallner；　and　the　whole
force　set　out　again　and　marched　rapidly　across　the　mountains　and
through　the　valleys；　it　was　received　everywhere　with　deafening
cheers；　and　gained　at　every　step　fresh　accessions　of　men；　who　rushed
enthusiastically　out　of　their　buts；　armed　with　their　rifles；　or
other　weapons；　even　though　they　had　only　wooden　clubs；　and　bravely
joined　the　defenders　of　the　country。

Already　they　approached　their　destination；　in　the　expansive　valley
below；　yonder；　lay　the　town　of　Brunecken；　surmounted　by　Castle
Bruneck　and　other　ancient　and　decaying　feudal　castles；　and　behind
it；　on　the　way　down　toward　Brixen；　in　the　narrower　gorge；　bordered
on　both　sides　by　precipitous　mountains；　through　which　the　Rienz
hurls　its　foaming　waters；　they　beheld　already　the　small　town　of　St。
Lawrence。　After　reaching　St。　Lawrence　they　had　only　an　hour's　march
to　the　Muhlbach　pass；　which；　in　accordance　with　Andreas　Hofer's
orders；　the　brave　men　of　the　Puster　valley　were　to　occupy　and　defend
against　the　enemy　moving　up　from　Botzen。

But　all　at　once；　right　in　the　midst　of　the　march；　Anthony　Wallner
stood　still；　and；　turning　to　Panzl；　who　was　walking　by　the　side　of
the　column；　gave　him　a　sign　to　halt。　The　whole　column　stopped　and
listened。

Yes；　there　was　no　doubt　about　it；　that　was　the　rattle　of　musketry　at
a　distance！　And　now　they　heard　also　the　loud　booming　of　artillery；
and　the　ringing　of　the　tocsin　at　Brunecken　and　St。　Lawrence。

〃Now　forward；　Tyrolese；　forward！〃　shouted　Anthony　Wallner。　〃At　the
double…quick　down　to　Brunecken！〃

〃Forward！〃　shouted　the　men；　and　their　exclamations　were　echoed
joyously　by　the　women　who　had　courageously　accompanied　their
husbands；　and　who　were　ready；　like　them；　to　fight　for　their　country
and　their　emperor。

They　marched　with　great　speed　down　the　Brunecken。　The　whole　town　was
in　the　utmost　commotion。　Young　and　old　men；　women；　childrenall
were　hurrying　toward　the　gate　leading　to　St。　Lawrence。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　shouted　Anthony　Wallner；　grasping　the　arm　of
an　old　man；　who；　armed　with　a　pitchfork；　was　speeding　along　at　a
furious　rate。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　echoed　the　old　man；　endeavoring　to　disengage
his　arm　from　Wallner's　powerful　grasp。　〃The　matter　is；　that　the
insurrection　has　broken　out　at　length。　The　Bavarians　are　bent　on
destroying　the　bridge　of　St。　Lawrence；　in　order　to　prevent　the
Austrians　from　crossing　it。　The　whole　military　detachment　left　our
place　some　time　ago　for　the　bridge；　and　sappers　and　miners；　who　are
to　blow　it　up；　have　arrived　this　morning　from　Brixen。　But　we　will
not　allow　them　to　do　it。　They　must　shoot　us　all　before　we　permit
them　to　destroy　the　bridge。〃

〃No；　we　will　not！〃　cried　Anthony　Wallner。　〃Forward；　men　of　the
Puster　valley；　forward　to　the　bridge　of　St。　Lawrence！〃

They　continued　their　march　through　the　valley　at　the　double…quick。
They　heard　the　rattle　of　musketry　and　the　booming　of　artillery　more
and　more　distinctly；　and　now；　at　a　bend　in　the　valley；　the　most
wonderful　and　striking　spectacle　presented　itself　to　their　eyes。

Yonder　at　a　distance　lay　the　well…known　bridge；　composed　of　a　single
arch；　between　tremendous　rocks；　by　its　side　stood　two　battalions　of
Bavarian　infantry　in　serried　ranks；　and　on　a　knoll；　close　to　the
bank　of　the　river　Rienz；　had　been　planted　three　cannon　pointed
menacingly　both　against　the　bridge　and　the　people　who　were　moving　up
to　it　in　denser　and　denser　masses。　Captains　and　other　officers　were
galloping　up　and　down　in　front　of　the　Bavarians；　and　encouraging
their　men　to　attack　these　insurgents　who　were　coming　up　behind；　in
front；　and　on　both　sides　of　them。　The　courageous　sons　of　the　Tyrol
rushed　down　from　all　the　heights；　the　tocsin　of　Brunecken　and　St。
Lawrence　had　not　called　them　in　vain。　They　came　down　the　mountains
and　up　the　valley；　they　came；　men　and　women；　old　men　and　children；
and　all　were　armed：　he　who　did　not　possess　a　gun　had　a　flail；　a
pitchfork；　or　a　club。　Like　a　broad；　motley　river；　the