"Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher. "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this? Let us rise and slay¹ the tyrant²."

 

Werner Stauffacher, prudent³ man, scratched his chin thoughtfully.

 

"We-e-ll," he said, "you see, the difficulty is that we are not armed and the soldiers are. There is nothing I should enjoy more than slaying⁴ the tyrant, only I have an idea that the tyrant would slay us. You see my point?"

 

"Why were we so slow!" groaned⁵ Arnold. "We should have risen before, and then this would never have happened. Who was it that advised us to delay?"

 

"We-e-ll," said Stauffacher (who had himself advised delay), "I can't quite remember at the moment, but I dare say you could find out by looking up the minutes of our last meeting. I know the motion was carried by a majority of two votes. See! Gessler grows impatient."

 

Gessler, who had been fidgeting on his horse for some time, now spoke⁶ again, urging Tell to hurry.

 

"Begin!" he cried--"begin!"

 

"Immediately," replied Tell, fitting the arrow to the string.

 

Gessler began to mock him once more.

 

"You see now," he said, "the danger of carrying arms. I don't know if you have ever noticed it, but arrows very often recoil⁷ on the man who carries them. The only man who has any business to possess a weapon is the ruler of a country--myself, for instance. A low, common fellow--if you will excuse the description--like yourself only grows proud through being armed, and so offends those above him. But, of course, it's no business of mine. I am only telling you what I think about it. Personally, I like to encourage my subjects to shoot; that is why I am giving you such a splendid mark to shoot at. You see, Tell?"

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