"Are you men? Are you Germans? Who has made judges of you? Speak! I will answer you. You are bringing misery upon yourselves. You will be recognized and detected, in spite of your blackened faces. To-morrow will come the appointed judge; for we live in a well-governed country, and you are all of you amenable to the law."
"We don't want to touch the Captain!" cried a voice from the crowd.
Eric continued,—
"If there is one among you who can tell what you want, let him come forward."
A man with blackened face, whom Eric did not recognize, stepped forth and said,—
"Captain, it's me, the Screamer; let me speak. The new wine has got into our folks' heads below there. I'm as sober as a cat," added he, stammering.
"But what do they want?"
"They wish that Herr Sonnenkamp, or whatever his name is, should leave our part of the country, and go where he belongs."
"Yes! Let him take himself off!"
"And give me back my meadow!"