archduke has already fitted up a house for you in a village which
belongs to him； you shall live there with your whole family as the
beloved and honored guests of the archduke。 He implores you to
accept his invitation。 I have with me every thing that is necessary
for your flight； Andy。 The archduke has given me money； a passport
for you and your family； and safeguards issued by the French
generals。 I am familiar with the roads and by…paths in this
vicinity； and will convey you safely through the mountains。 The
archduke has thought of every thing and provided for every thing。〃
〃It is very kind in the dear Archduke John not to have forgotten
me；〃 said Andreas； deeply moved； 〃it is honest and faithful that he
should like to take care of me and reward my love。 And it is very
kind in you； too； Anthony Steeger； to have acted in this spirit of
self…denial。 You have come from a great distance to save us； and are
not afraid of venturing with us upon this most dangerous flight。〃
〃And you accept my offer； Andy； and consent to accompany me； do you
not？〃
〃And what of them？〃 asked Andreas； casting a tender glance on his
wife and his son。 〃The route across the glaciers is impassable for a
woman and a child。〃
〃First save yourself； my Andy；〃 exclaimed Anna Gertrude； 〃save
yourself for us and the country。 After you are gone and have arrived
at a place of safety； the enemy will hardly trouble us any more； and
I will follow you then with the children。〃
〃You need not be anxious； so far as your wife and children are
concerned；〃 said Doeninger。 〃I will not leave them； but bring them
to you。〃
〃Pray do not hesitate； Andy；〃 said Anthony Steeger； urgently。 〃The
archduke implores you not to grieve him by rejecting his offer； but
to relieve his conscience from the heavy debt which he has hitherto
been unable to discharge to the Tyrol。 You shall escape for his sake
and for the good of the fatherland； and save your life for better
times； which will surely dawn upon the Tyrol。 Do it； Andreas。 Let us
go to work immediately。 See； I have with me all that you need； and
wear two suits of clothes； one is destined for you； and you will put
it on。 And here is the razor； with which we shall shave off your
beard； and when it is gone； and you have put on the new clothes； no
one will scent the Barbone in the man with a foreign dress and a
smooth chin。 Come； now； Andy； and do not hesitate。〃
〃I am to make quite another man of myself；〃 said Andreas； shaking
his head； 〃merely to save my miserable life？ I am to deny my dear
Passeyr？ I am to shave off my beard； which I have worn so long in an
honorable manner； and by which everyone knows me throughout the
Tyrol？ No； Anthony Steeger； I will never do that！〃
〃If you do not； Andreas； you are lost；〃 said Anthony Steeger。 〃I am
afraid the French are already on your track。 A peasant said he had
seen you up here the other day。〃
〃Yes； it was Raffel。 He came up here to look for his cow； and met me
here。 But I gave him money not to betray my secret； and he promised
me solemnly that be would not。〃
〃He must have violated his pledge already； Andy； for he told Donay；
the priest； about it； and the latter boasted publicly yesterday that
he was aware of Andreas Hofer's place of concealment。〃
〃It is true； Donay is a bad and mean man；〃 said Andreas Hofer；
musingly； 〃but I do not believe he will be so mean as to betray me；
whom he always called his best commander…in…chief and dearest
friend。〃
〃He is mean enough to do it；〃 murmured Doeninger。 〃The magnitude of
the price set on your head will induce him to betray his
benefactor。〃
〃Andy；〃 cried Anna Gertrude； bursting into tears； and clinging to
her husband； 〃save yourself！ If you love me and the children； save
yourself； cut off your beard； put on the new suit of clothes； and
escape from your bloodthirsty enemies。 Save yourself； for the sake
of your wife and your poor children！〃
〃I cannot；〃 said Andreas； mournfully； embracing his wife tenderly；
〃no； so help me God； I cannot leave my dear； unhappy country。 I know
full well that I shall not avert any calamities from the Tyrol by
staying here； but I will at least share its misfortunes。 I was
unable to save my native country； I will therefore suffer with it。 A
good captain does not desert his shipwrecked vessel； but dies with
it； and thus I will not desert my country either； but die with it。 I
will do all I can to save myself； but I will not leave the Tyrol； I
will not cut off my beard nor put on other clothes。 I will not mask
and disguise myself； but will remain in adversity what I was in the
days of prosperity； Andreas Hofer； the Barbone。 State that to the
dear archduke； Anthony Steeger； and tell him also that I am very
grateful to him for wishing to save me in his way； and that I hope
he will not be angry with me for being unable to accept his kind
offer； or for wishing to live and die with my country。 If he wishes
to do any thing for me； let him go to the Emperor Francis； and tell
him I am well aware that he himself would never have forgotten us；
but that his bad ministers did it all； and betrayed the poor Tyrol
so perfidiously。 Let him beseech the emperor to intercede vigorously
in behalf of the Tyrol and of myself； but not to separate me from
the Tyrol。〃 ＇Footnote： 〃Gallery of Heroes： Andreas Hofer；〃 p。 188。＇
〃Andreas；〃 cried his wife； despairingly； 〃you are lostI feel it
here in my heartyou are lost； if you do not flee with Steeger this
very night。〃
〃And I feel it here in my heart that I must stay here； even though I
should be lost；〃 said Andreas； firmly。 〃Well； you must weep no more；
Anna Gertrude； and you； Anthony Steeger； accept my cordial thanks
for your kind and generous intentions。〃
〃Then you have made up your mind； Andy； not to go with me？〃
〃I have； Anthony。 But if you will do me a great favor； take my wife
and my boy with you； for the enemy threatens them as well as me。
Take them with you； Anthony； convey them across the mountains； and
conduct them to the Archduke John。〃
〃It is impossible；〃 said Anthony Steeger； mournfully； 〃the roads are
so full of snow that they are utterly impassable for women and
children。〃
〃And you would advise me to leave them here？〃 asked Andreas； Hofer；
reproachfully。 〃I am to leave here my most precious treasures merely
to save my miserable life？ No； my friend； I shall stay here with my
wife and child and Doeninger there。 But you must go now and save
yourself； for； if the enemy should really come； it would be bad for
you to be found here。〃
〃I will go； Andy； not to save myself； however； but to convey your
message speedily to the archduke； that he may save you in another
way by the emperor's intercession。 In the valley I shall tell every
one that you are no longer in this Alpine hut； but have already
succeeded in escaping to Vienna； so that it will be unnecessary for
the enemy to pursue you any longer。〃
〃Do so； Anthony Steeger； and if they believe you； I shall be glad of
it。 But go now； I am anxious on your account； and think something
might happen to you here。 Go； my dear friend。〃
He drew Steeger to the door； and； not permitting him to take a long
leave of the others； conducted him out of the hut； and then embraced
him tenderly。 〃Now listen to what I wish to tell you；〃 he whispered；
in a low voice。 〃I must stay here to save my wife and my boy。 The
two cannot flee now； as you yourself admitted to me。 If I should
escape now； and leave them here； the enemy would spy out their place
of concealment and revenge himself upon them； he would torture and
kill them in his rage at not having captured me。 But if I stay； and
the French should find me； I believe they would release my wife and
my son and do no harm to them； for then they would have got me； and
they are entirely innocent。 Go； then； my dear friend； tell the
archduke all I have said to you； and greet him a thousand times from
his faithful Andy。 Now farewell； and go with God's blessing！〃
He nodded once more kindly to Anthony Steeger。 and returned quickly
into the Alpine hut。 He found his wife in tears； little John； her
son； was kneeling before her； with his head against his mother's
knees； and weeping also。 Doeninger stood at the hearth and stared
into the fire。
Andreas Hofer went to him and laid his hand gently on his shoulder。
〃Cajetan；〃 he asked； mildly； 〃did I do right？〃
〃Yes； commander…in…chief； you did；〃 said Doeninger； solemnly。
〃I want to tell you something more； Cajetan；〃 added Andreas。 〃What
Steeger said about Rafel and Donay may be true； the French may have
discovered my place of concealment； and may come up here。 Hence；
dear Cajetan； you must leave me and escape； lest they should seize
you； too。〃
〃A good servant leaves his master no more than a captain deserts his
shipwrecked vessel；〃 said Doeninger； firmly。 〃You refuse to leave
your native country in its adversity because you love it。 I refuse；
likewise； to leave you in the days of your adversity； because I love
you。 I shall stay here。〃
Andreas Hofer encircled Doeninger with his arms and folded him
tenderly to his heart。 〃Stay with me； then； my Cajetan；〃 he said；
affectionately。 〃God knows my heart would have grieved had you
consented to leave me。 And now； Anna Gertrude； do not weep any
longer。 Make haste； dear wife； pack up all your things； and let us
go early to bed。 For early in the morning we will leave this hut。 I
know another Alpine hut at no great distance from here； I believe we
will be able to get thither； and we will take with us as many things
as we can carry。 Make haste； therefore； dear Anna Gertrude！〃
Anna Gertrude dried her tears； and； flushed with new hope； packed up
their things in four small bundles； so that each might carry one
according to his strength。
Night came at lastthe last night which they were to pass at this
hut。 At the break of day they were to set out for their new place of
concealment。
They went to bed at an early hour。 Andreas Hofer had sent the two
servants down to Brandach； where they were to get some articles
necessary for the trip on the morrow。 Hofer and his wife slept in
the room below。 Cajetan Doeninger and little John Hofer lay in the
small hay…loft； to w