Page:H.M. The Patrioteer.djvu/134

126 soldier had withdrawn into the sentry box, as deeply as possible so that only the barrel of his rifle projected. "Come out, my man!" the bass voice commanded from above. "You have done your duty. He provoked you. His Majesty will reward you for your bravery. Do you understand?"

Every one had understood and was dumb with amazement, including even the girl. All the more formidably he boomed.

"Disperse, or I'll have you shot!"

A moment passed and some had already begun to rim. The workmen broke up into groups, lingered &hellip; and then went a little further on, with downcast heads. The governor shouted down again:

"Paschke, go and get a doctor."

Then he slammed the window. At the entrance of the building, however, there was a movement of people. Gentlemen suddenly emerged to give orders, a mass of policemen was running about on all sides, pushing the people who still remained, and shouting on their own account. Diederich and his companions, who had stepped back around their corner, noticed some gentlemen standing on the steps of the Masonic Hall. Now Dr. Heuteufel was making his way between them. "I am a doctor," he said in a loud voice, as he went quickly across the street and bent over the wounded man. He turned him over, opened his waistcoat and pressed his ear to his chest. At that moment there was complete silence, even the police stopped shouting. But the girl stood there, leaning forward with her shoulders hunched as if she feared the threat of a blow, and with her fist clenched to her heart as if that was the heart which had stopped beating.

Dr. Heuteufel stood up. "The man is dead," he said. Simultaneously he noticed that the girl was tottering, and he made a move to seize her. But she stood erect again, looking down at the face of the dead man, and said simply: