“Where are you hurt?” asked Moretz, “that I may wash and bind up your wounds.”
Herder pointed to his side and then to one of his legs.
Aided by Karl, who now came up, Moretz took off Herder’s clothes, and with the linen which he had collected from the slain, having first washed his wounds, he bound them carefully up.
“We must carry you out of this, for the imperialists returning, will too likely kill all they find alive,” said Moretz.
“You cannot carry me,” said Herder, faintly: “you would sink under my weight.”
“I will try,” answered Moretz. “Karl will help me.”
With a strength of which the old man seemed incapable, he lifted the bulky form of the farmer on his shoulders, and telling Karl to support his wounded leg, he hurried towards the hill from which he had lately descended.
“But you can never carry me up that hill,” said Herder, as he gazed at the height above their heads.
“No,” answered Moretz; “but there is a cave near its foot. I can there conceal you till your enemies have gone away; and I will then get some friend to assist me in carrying you to my hut. You will be safe in the cave, at all events, for few know of it; and as soon as the soldiers have disappeared I will get the assistance of a friend to carry you on.”
Old Moretz, as he staggered on, had several times to stop and recover strength, for the farmer’s body was very heavy. At length, however, he reached the cavern he spoke of. Having deposited his burden, and left Karl to watch him, he climbed the height, whence he could observe the proceedings of the imperialists. He had not long to wait. As he had seen them advancing like a rushing torrent, now they returned like the ebb of the ocean. As he had feared, they appeared to be slaughtering those they found still stretched alive on the ground. On they went, till there were none to kill, and then, the trumpet collecting them in more compact order, they marched onwards in the direction whence they had come. Moretz, having found a neighbour in whom he had confidence, he returned to the cavern, and together they carried Herder up to his cottage.