'Now, then, tell us,' said the leader.
'You may kill me,' said Rudel, 'but I will not tell.'
Full well did Rudel guess now the cause of his grandmother's tears last night, and who the visitor had been.
'Fall in, men,' commanded the leader, winking at the next in command; 'form a shooting party.'
Soldiers were rough and cruel in those times, especially in time of war, and poor Rudel fully believed he was going to be shot. He watched the preparations with fascinated eyes, and allowed himself to be placed in position against a low stone wall. Then he burst into tears.
'Once more—will you tell?'
Rudel did not answer, but shut his eyes and began rapidly to repeat the Lord's Prayer. The leader glanced round with a grim smile, and the men clicked the locks of their muskets. Then fear overcame the poor little fellow, and he sank down in a heap on the ground.
Meanwhile, in the cave, which was quite close, Lisbeth had heard all. She began to struggle, and uttered a stifled scream. The man released her, and, to her surprise, gently touched her flaxen hair.
'Fear nothing, little one,' he said, and taking her hand, went with her out of the cave, and walked straight up to the soldiers.
'I may be a spy and a deserter,' he said loudly to the leader, 'but I am not a brute as you are.' And he struck the officer a violent blow in the face.