Page:Popular Tales of the Germans (Volume 1).djvu/192

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174
THE STEALING

exorable Amazons, however, refuſed quarter, but kept puſhing and thruſting into the murderous hole, till a deadly ſilence prevailed within; and not one of the unfortunate meſs-mates moved a limb. They then faſtened the door, and marched triumphantly into the village[1].

Six of the aſſociated fugitives were actually killed outright in this oven ſkirmiſh. The imminent danger ſuggeſted to the ſeventh, who was more cunning or reſolute than the reſt, a certain method of ſelf-preſervation. He wiſely made a retreat in time into the chimney, clambered up through it into the open air, contrived to ſlide down the roof unhurt and get into the open fields, along which he fled to the neighbouring woods and mountains, where he wandered without any certain track all day long, under the immediate terrors of death. Towards ſun-ſet he ſunk down oppreſſed with fa-

  1. Glafey, the hiſtorian, warrants this anecdote.

tigue