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 and confidently advanced toward the soldiers. The commander should see that they were not armed, and hearing their St. Václavian hymn he would know that they intended no harm. And, besides, the peasants were ready to acknowledge the object of their journey, feeling convinced that the commander would then let them pass. But they were mistaken in believing that they would not be opposed in traveling over the public roads to ask for justice.

“Halt!” suddenly exclaimed a thundering voice, when the peasants had come within a few hundred feet of the soldiers. “Halt, or we fire.”

All remained still, being unable to comprehend what they had heard.

“What do you demand of us, master, that you want us to stop?” Andrew asked the commander, a young man in uniform, puffed with pride.

Being thus addressed, he turned purple with anger.

“You have no right to ask me; it is your