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crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple. There was dead silence as he passed. Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another.

“Shall this be done before our eyes?” said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher. “Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this? Let us rise and slay the tyrant.”

Werner Stauffacher, prudent man, scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“We-e-ll," he said, “you see, the difficulty is that we are not armed and the soldiers are. There is nothing I should enjoy more than