Page:H.M. The Patrioteer.djvu/133

Rh from the crowd, consisting chiefly of workmen and women of the people. Suddenly a man's voice said very loudly: "Ah, ah!" Then there was a deep silence. Diederich and Jadassohn exchanged a glance of fear and understanding as to the critical nature of the occasion.

Down the street ran a policeman, and in front of him a girl, her dress flying in the wind, who cried while still some distance away: "There he is! the soldier fired!"

She came up, threw herself on her knees and shook the man. "Up! Do stand up!"

She waited. His feet seemed to move convulsively, but he lay there, his arms and legs stretched out over the pavement. Then she began to cry: "Karl!" There was a scream which made everybody start. The women joined in the crying, and several men pushed forward with clenched fists. The crowd had become denser. From between the cars, which had come to a halt, reinforcements overflowed. In the midst of the threatening mob the girl worked herself free, her loosened hair streaming, her face distorted with tears. It could be seen that she was screaming, but not a sound could be heard, for it was drowned in the general noise. The solitary policeman pushed the crowd back with outstretched arms, for they would have trodden on the prostrate figure. He shouted at them in vain, tramping on their toes, and, losing his head, he began to gaze around wildly for help.

It came. A window was opened in the government building, an immense beard appeared, and a voice was heard, a formidable bass voice, which reached the ears of every one above the outcry, like the rumbling of distant cannons, even when the words could not be understood.

"Wulckow," said Jadassohn. "At last."

"I forbid this!" thundered the voice. "Who dares to make this noise here in front of my house?" And as it became a little quieter: "Where is the sentry?"

Now, for the first time, most of the people noticed that the