The ring opened. Ah! now the corporal and the soldiers are going to bring in the dinner.
But no! The dinner came walking along by itself. With a dignified step it marched in and gave utterance to an expressive bleat. It was a live sheep, which was to be given to the poor lads who were faint from hunger. An outburst of boisterous laughter from the Austrians greeted the dignified wether, and drowned the cries of the bitterly disappointed cadets.
"A sheep!" they cried, "and what are we to do with it?"—and they began to weep afresh.
"Kill him and roast him!" jeered the officer. "You are brave soldiers. Well, you will only have to do what we often do in camp. Be your own cook and butler; none of us will help you. We want to see what sort of practical soldiers you will make, and whether you are as good hands at cooking as at crying and blubbering."
And the Austrians folded their arms, and looked on idly and with derisive satisfaction at these poor children who stood there with their heads bowed down with helplessness and grief.
At length little Ramin arose. His eyes glistened with fierce defiance, and an expression of noble courage illuminated his pale countenance.
"If the sheep belongs to us," said he, "we will eat him."
"But he's alive," cried the boys.
"We will kill him," answered the little fellow.
"We? we ourselves? We are no butchers. We have never done such a thing!"