Early the next morning, up with the sun, all were ready for the drive home. As Herr Wirthe had predicted, the day was fair; as they drove away from the Inn, they caught a glimpse of Frau Hütte in the distance beyond Innsbruck, and, sure enough, there she sat on her mountain peak, with her great son safely sheltered in her arms. "Shall we go to the salt mines, father?" asked Leopold, as they made their way along the mountain road. "No, we cannot take the time; mother will be waiting for us and the women folks are impatient to visit, I know." "They have wonderful salt mines at Salzburg," said Ferdinand. "Perhaps we may go there some time to visit them." "Perhaps," replied his father. "But, while we are on the subject, did it ever occur to you that Salzburg means the 'town or castle of salt?'--for, in the old times, all towns were within castle-walls, to protect them from depredations of the enemy." "Isn't it curious?" meditated Ferdinand. The Inn River crossed, they continued to climb. Herr Hofer stopped to rest the horses; he glanced about him at the panorama below, and chuckled mirthfully. "What's the matter, uncle?" asked Ferdinand. "Oh, nothing much; but every time I see the towns of Hall and Thaur, just over there," and he pointed with the handle of his whip, "I think of the Bauernkrieg." "But there isn't anything very funny about a war, is there, uncle?" asked the serious little fellow. "Well," rambled on his uncle, "there was about _this_ one. You see, in early times, when Tyrol was not quite so peaceful as it is to-day, these two cities were most jealous of each other, and were always at feud. A watchman stood on the tower, day and night, to prevent any surprise from his neighbor. One night, in midsummer,--and a very hot night it was, too,--the people of Hall were roused from their slumbers, if they had been able to sleep at all in such heat, by the voice of the watchman calling them to arms. "'What is the trouble, watchman?' cried one and all, as they appeared at their windows. "'Oh,' exclaimed the frightened fellow, 'hasten, friends, hasten! The whole town of Thaur is at our gates; and not only are they advancing toward us, but each man boldly carries a lantern.' "Such audacity was never heard of before. In utmost consternation the people gathered in the village square and held a consultation. It was finally arranged that Herr Zott, the steward of the salt mine, and therefore a most important personage in the village, should meet the enemy with a flag of truce and demand the reason for this unexpected attack. The inhabitants of Hall, in fear and trembling, awaited Herr Zott's return.