WINKELRIED (pointing to the lake). Ha! look there! See you nothing? MEYER. What is it? Ay, indeed! A rainbow in the middle of the night. MELCHTHAL. Formed by the bright reflection of the moon! FLUE. A sign most strange and wonderful, indeed! Many there be who ne'er have seen the like. SEWA. 'Tis doubled, see, a paler one above! BAUMGARTEN. A boat is gliding yonder right beneath it. MELCHTHAL. That must be Werner Stauffacher! I knew The worthy patriot would not tarry long. [Goes with BAUMGARTEN towards the shore. MEYER. The Uri men are like to be the last. BUHEL. They're forced to take a winding circuit through The mountains; for the viceroy's spies are out. [In the meanwhile the two peasants have kindled a fire in the centre of the stage. MELCHTHAL (on the shore). Who's there? The word? STAUFFACHER (from below). Friends of the country. [All retire up the stage, towards the party landing from the boat. Enter STAUFFACHER, ITEL, REDING, HANS AUF DER MAUER, JORG IM HOPE, CONRAD HUNN, ULRICH DER SCHMIDT, JOST VON WEILER, and three other peasants, armed. ALL. Welcome! [While the rest remain behind exchanging greetings, MELCHTHAL comes forward with STAUFFACHER. MELCHTHAL. Oh, worthy Stauffacher, I've looked but now On him, who could not look on me again. I've laid my hands upon his rayless eyes, And on their vacant orbits sworn a vow Of vengeance, only to be cooled in blood. STAUFFACHER. Speak not of vengeance. We are here to meet The threatened evil, not to avenge the past. Now tell me what you've done, and what secured, To aid the common cause in Unterwald. How stands the peasantry disposed, and how Yourself escaped the wiles of treachery?