CHAPTER XV
THERE is not much more of the story of William Tell. The death of Gessler was a signal to the Swiss to rise in revolt, and soon the whole country was up in arms against the Austrians. It had been chiefly the fear of the Governor that had prevented a rising before. It had been brewing for a long time. The people had been bound by a solemn oath to drive the enemy out of the country. All through Switzerland preparations for a revolution were going on, and nobles and peasants had united.
Directly the news arrived that the Governor was slain, meetings of the people were held in every town in Switzerland, and it was resolved to begin the revolution without delay. All the fortresses that Gessler had built during his years of rule were carried by assault on the same night. The last to fall was one which had only been begun a short time back, and the people who had been forced to help to build it spent a very pleasant hour pulling down the stones which had cost them such labour to put in their place. Even the children helped. It was a great treat to them to break what they pleased without being told not to.
“See,” said Tell, as he watched them, “in years to come, when these same children are gray-haired, they will remember this night as freshly as they will remember it to-morrow."
A number of people rushed up, bearing the pole which Gessler’s soldiers had set up in the meadow. The hat was still on top of it, nailed to the wood by Tell’s arrow.
“Here’s the hat!” shouted Ruodi—“the hat to which we were to bow!”
“What shall we do with it?” cried several voices.
“Destroy it! Burn it!" said others. “To the flames with this emblem of tyranny!”
But Tell stopped them.
“Let us preserve it," he said. “Gessler set it up to be a means of enslaving the country; we will set it up as a memorial of our newly-gained liberty. Nobly is fulfilled the oath we swore to drive the tyrants from our land. Let the pole mark the spot where the revolution finished.”
“But is it finished?" said Arnold of Melchthal. “It is a nice point. When the Emperor of Austria hears that we have killed his friend Gessler, and burnt down all his fine new fortresses, will he not come here to seek revenge?”
“He will," said Tell. “And let him come. And let him bring all his mighty armies. We have driven out the enemy that was in our land. We will meet and drive away the enemy that comes from another country. Switzerland is not easy to attack. There are but a few mountain passes by which the foe can approach. We will stop these with our bodies. And one great strength we have: we are united. And united we need fear no foe."
“Hurrah!” shouted everybody.
“But who is this that approaches?" said Tell. “He seems excited. Perhaps he brings news.”
It was Rösselmann the pastor, and he brought stirring news.
“These are strange times in which we live," said Rösselmann, coming up.
“Why, what has happened?” cried everybody.
“Listen, and be amazed.”
“Why, what’s the matter?"
“The Emperor”
“Yes?”
“The Emperor is dead."
“What! dead?"
“Dead!”
“Impossible! How came you by the news?”
“John Müller of Schaffhausen brought it. And he is a truthful man."
“But how did it happen?”
“As the Emperor rode from Stein to Baden the lords of Eschenhach and Tegerfelden, jealous, it is said, of his power, fell upon him with their spears. His bodyguard were on the other side of a stream—the Emperor had just crossed it—and could not come to his assistance. He died instantly.”
By the death of the Emperor the revolution in Switzerland was enabled to proceed without check. The successor of the Emperor had too much to do in defending himself against the slayers of his father to think of attacking the Swiss, and by the time he was at leisure they were too strong to be attacked. So the Swiss became free.
As for William Tell, he retired to his home, and lived there very happily ever afterwards with his wife and his two sons, who in a few years became very nearly as skilful in the use of the cross-bow as their father.
EPILOGUE.
Some say the tale related here
Is amplified and twisted;
Some say it isn’t very clear
That William Tell existed;
Some say he freed his country so,
The Governor demolished.
Perhaps he did. I only know
That taxes aren’t abolished!