Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu/404

 Vonka.—Throw a clod of clay after him, mother, and then let’s go— —

Ebner.—What does this mean? (There’s no answer. crawls out of the grave.)

Vonka (Now approaching the officer).—Please go away from here.

Ebner.—An officer.

Vonka.—None such here.

Ebner.—Who is the oldest?

Vonka.—Please go away.

Ebner.—I don’t understand what is going on here.

Vonka.—I am asking you clearly to go away from here and I repeat it. You don’t belong to the army any more and have no business here. Be kind enough to leave before we use force.

Ebner (Unsheathing his sword).—Is that your way of talking to your officer, you cur—(But he has just then been seized from the back by and  and overpowered.)

Ebner.—So, treason.

Vonka.—Leave him alone—free him—he will go

Soukup.—No, let us get him out of here

Vonka.—No. (They free him but and  remain as though guarding him.) You’ve seen what’s threatening you and I say again to you that you should not try to engage in an uneven struggle. But if you must know before you go something about us, then let me tell you that we do not remain here in order to surrender to the Prussians. All the same, our fate is decided. Unless you feel as we do, that now it is not the question how this forced and lost war will end, but a question of the sacred ground we stand on—our country.

Ebner.—Lunatics

Vonka.—My patience is at an end. (He suppresses his anger.) For the last time I urge you to go. For the last time I want to make clear to you that we shall from this spot where our fate has thrown us, defend our Fatherland—the Fatherland which you have betrayed and deserted. Now go at once.

Ebner (With emphasis).—The five of you will defend the whole country.

All Shouting.—The five of us.

Ebner (Taken aback a moment, then again defiantly).—You five—against the entire Prussian army which today defeated our whole eighth division—have you escaped a madhouse, or are you in such a hurry to be killed—the whole of Bohemia could not