"A nasty, dangerous occupation," said Hedwig. "I don't like to hear of
your being lost on desolate ice-fields, and leaping from crag to crag,
and what not. Some day, mark my words, if you are not careful, you will
fall down a precipice, or be overtaken by an avalanche, or the ice will
break while you are crossing it. There are a thousand ways in which you
might get hurt."

   "A man of ready wit with a quick eye," replied Tell complacently,
"never gets hurt. The mountain has no terror for her children. I am a
child of the mountain."

   "You are certainly a child!" snapped Hedwig. "It is no use my arguing
with you."

   "Not very much," agreed Tell, "for I am just off to the town. I have an
appointment with your papa and some other gentlemen."

   (I forgot to say so before, but Hedwig was the daughter of Walter

   Fürst.)

   "Now,

    what

   are you and papa plotting?" asked Hedwig. "I know

   there is something going on. I suspected it when papa brought Werner

   Stauffacher and the other man here, and you wouldn't let me listen.

   What is it? Some dangerous scheme, I suppose?"

   "Now, how in the world do you get those sort of ideas into your head?"
Tell laughed. "Dangerous scheme! As if I should plot dangerous schemes
with your papa!"

   "I know," said Hedwig. "You can't deceive

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