"Certainly," replied his wife; "I hope Father Joachim will never find our larder quite empty. Johann caught a trout weighing three pounds, this morning." "Draw in, Rudolf," said the Sandwirth cheerfully to the young mountaineer; "and don't sit at that awful distance, my lad, as if you were not one of us." Rudolf bashfully obeyed. At the same time, Theresa, who had tucked up her little sisters with considerable expedition, re-entered, and began sedulously to assist her mother in preparing Father Joachim's supper. She had not been absent many minutes, yet had contrived to slip on clean white full sleeves under her trim violet velvet bodice--a circumstance which did not escape the vigilant eye of Franz. [Illustration] CHAPTER II. THE INN KITCHEN. "Who was that stranger, Anderl?" said Father Joachim. "A flat-faced Bavarian, I think, father," said the Sandwirth: "cunning as a fox! He took note of every word we said." "You said nothing incautious, then, I hope?" "Nothing whatever, father; we talked of shooting-matches and Sabbath-breaking." "Good. Now then--here is a bag of money." "For what, father?" "For laying in stores of various sorts; which you, as an innkeeper, may do without suspicion. You may, perhaps, even contrive to conceal some ammunition." "Doubtless, father; though this is not a particularly good hiding-place." "You will be at some expense too about your shooting-matches." "You think them quite justifiable, father?" "Quite, my son. I think, in this instance, the end will justify the means. This will be a holy war; and the meetings, ostensibly for sport, will cover our arrangements. None among us are traitors, but some may be indiscreet, and these must not be trusted, but quietly sent away to the mountain châlets. This will be mortifying, but they will still be of service, for some must keep our flocks and herds, or how can the others be spared to fight? There must be one common purpose among us, without heart-burnings or jealousies." "There must. There shall." "It is easy to say there must,--there shall,--but are you yourself, Hofer, willing to co-operate with Martin Teimer, or perhaps even occasionally to be subordinate to him? There has been some coldness, I think, between you?" "On my side, none," said the Sandwirth, after a little hesitation; "I bear him no ill will, nor do I know why he should bear any to me. The man's an able man; more so than I; and has already been raised from a private to a major in the militia, though, just now, he only keeps a tobacco-shop, which is no better, I take it, than keeping a wirth-haus. That's neither here nor there. I'll co-operate with him, or serve under him, whenever it needs."