They had gone but halfway down, when Otto heard a scream behind him in which he recognized his sister's voice, but he was powerless to stop, and he was going too fast to dare to roll himself from his sled until their speed diminished near the foot of the hill. He found Miezi halfway down the hill crying with all her might. Almost breathless, Otto gathered her in his arms, saying, "What happened, Miezchen? Tell me, what is the matter?"
"He wanted to—he wanted to—he was going to—" sobbed Miezi.
"What did he want to do? Who? Where?" asked Otto.
"The big man over there, he wanted to—he was going to kill me—and he said things."
"Never mind, Miezchen; be quiet now; he didn't kill you. Did he even hit you?" asked Otto, somewhat puzzled by the occurrence, for he knew Miezi to be a rather fearless child.
"No," sobbed Miezi, "but he had a big stick and he raised it like this and was going to strike and he said, 'You look out!' and he called me dreadful names."
"So he really didn't hurt you at all," said Otto, much relieved to find it true, although Miezi was of a different opinion.
"Yes, he did—he was going to—and you were all gone ahead and I was all alone," and from sheer self-pity came a fresh burst of tears.
"Hush now, Miezchen," coaxed Otto. "I shall never leave you like that again, so the man shall never get you. If you will be a happy little girl now, just as soon as we get home I will give you the red candy rooster I had on the Christmas tree."