There was a pause of some minutes; then suddenly we heard overhead a cracking sound among the furze bushes which composed the roof of the room, and the next instant something fell to the ground with a crash so tremendous that the whole house seemed to shake. Then we heard a bolt withdrawn, then a key was turned. The door began to open. '_Burschen!_' cried Macdonald, as he dashed it wide ajar, and sprang into the passage. '_Burschen!_' cried the Frenchman, and the next moment he was by our comrade's side. '_Burschen!_' cried we all, as we made in after them." "_Die Burschen sollen leben!_" (Students forever!) exclaimed Justus, in a state of no little excitement. "The robbers retreated precipitately into the hall, where we had seen the old woman the previous night. It was brightly illuminated by a large fire which was blazing on the hearth. Here we fought. '_Burschen!_' thundered Macdonald, as he struck down a man armed with a hatchet. '_A bas les voleurs!_' cried the Frenchman, quitting German for his mother tongue, in the heat of the moment. '_Jena! Göttingen!_' shouted some of us, forgetting in our excitement that these names were our passwords and not our war-cry. '_Burschen!_' cried Laurenberg, as he drove into a corner one of the enemy armed with a dagger and a sword. '_Burschen!_' cried he again, as he passed his weapon twice through the robber's body. '_Jena!_' yelled Richter, as his left arm, which he interposed to defend his head, was broken by a blow with an iron bar. '_And Göttingen!_' added he with a roar, as he laid his assailant at his feet. Meanwhile the Pole and I had sustained a fierce attack from three robbers, who, on hearing the cries and the clashing of arms, had rushed out of one of the doors opening into the hall. The Pole was already slightly wounded, and it was going hard with us, when the others came to our assistance. This decided the fight, and we found ourselves victors." "Bravo!" cried Justus, throwing his cap into the air. "That wasn't bad, grandfather!" and taking the old man's hand, he kissed his cheek.