"Good! keep close to me. According to my ideas this is the best plan: the bugler is to go with me to the Reitersberg, where we will light a fire, and then let all disperse two and two; not one alone. Whoever finds Joseph, must either bring him to us on the Reitersberg, or at least any tidings of him. Three loud long blasts of the horn will be heard at intervals, so long as Joseph is not found; but as soon as we find him, three short notes will be sounded, and continued till we are all reassembled. But what would be still better; I have my gun with me, are there any others in the village?" "Certainly there are." "Then go and fetch several, and when Joseph is found, we will fire three consecutive shots. If we were not to do that, very possibly some of your good people might still be running about in the snow and cold, long after Joseph was found." "He is right--a capital notion! Just like the brother of our Frau Pastorin." The young farmer smiled, and continued: "One thing more: we have coverlets and mattrasses with us. Is there any dog in the village that knows Joseph?" "They all know him, and love him. You know Joseph, don't you, Blitz?" said Haespele to a large dog at his heels. The huge yellow dog answered by a loud bark, and a wag of his tail. "Very well," exclaimed Edward, "let loose the dogs then." "And we will hang lanterns round their necks, and round our own the bells of the cows, and those of our teams." Every one had a fresh suggestion to make, so it was fortunate that the various opinions were concentrated into one by their leader. "Now give us once more the signal, that we may all know it thoroughly," said Edward; and the stocking weaver blew his horn with all his might. Scarcely had the sound died away, when Martina came running up and exclaimed: "Here are his clothes." "Let the dogs smell the clothes," said Edward. Martina would have been almost knocked down by the dogs who surrounded her, if Haespele had not had the sense to take the bundle from her. "Call to the dogs,--'Seek Joseph'!" commanded Edward; "and now forward! march! Joseph is our battle cry." "Halt!" shouted a deep powerful voice from the opposite side, "what is the matter?" "Adam," cried Martina, rushing up to him, "what have you there? have you found our Joseph?" "Our Joseph! what do you mean? This is the wolf that I killed with my cudgel." "The wolf that tore our child to pieces," cried Martina, clenching her hands in agony, and staring down at the dead animal. Haespele, very properly, told Adam in few words what had occurred. Adam was still holding the animal by the neck, and now he shook the dead creature violently, and hurled it with superhuman strength far away over the ditch into the field. Then he said:--