was the old posting Inn of Meran—and driven over the bridge across the Passeyr river, and away through the lovely Etsch Valley to Bozen. Here the prisoners were received by General Baraguay d'Hilliers, who, being a brave man and a good soldier, was beyond measure indignant at the treatment to which they had been subjected, and showed the Sandwirth all the kindness and courtesy in his power. Here also Hofer took leave of his wife and son before being taken on his way down to Mantua, in Italy.

A curious incident happened on the journey. The officers in charge of the detachment invited their prisoner to dine with them one evening when they halted for the night; but Andreas, glancing at the well-spread table as he entered the room, and seeing nothing there which he might eat-it being a fast dayquietly declined, saying he would have some bread by-and-by, and, sitting down by the stove, began to recite the evening prayers to

himself. It would have been well if his hosts. had exercised a little of a like self-restraint, for it ended in their drinking a great deal too much, and, in some way or another, setting fire to the house. Hofer, springing out of bed, found the soldier set to guard him lying at his door suffocated with smoke, and very soon he was helping in every possible way to extinguish the flames. Someone suggested to the Sandwirth to seize the opportunity of escaping, but he replied that he could not do that, it would be against his honour; and when, in the morning, he was thanked for what he had done, he said he did not see in what way he had deserved thanks, since he supposed that all good Christians would help in putting out a fire.

When the escort and their prisoner reached Mantua, Hofer was placed in a fortress on the banks of the Mincio. On the night of the 18th-19th February a court-martial was held, presided over, strangely enough, by General

Bisson-the same who had had to surrender himself to Martin Teimer at the first taking of Innsbruck. The votes were divided: all were for sparing the life of the prisoner, two were even for acquitting him altogether, but when the result of the court-martial was telegraphed to Milan, the answer came from the Emperor Napoleon: Andreas Hofer was to be shot within four-and-twenty hours. To his honour, be it said, General Bisson did his utmost to save his noble enemy. He went to him in his prison, and promised to obtain his life for him on condition of his entering the French service-a proposal which showed more goodwill than knowledge of the man with whom he had to deal. Hofer's answer was like himself: 'I remain faithful to the house of Austria, and the good Emperor Franz!'

So the Sandwirth was to die. The great Emperor could not forgive the peasant who had dared to resist him in defence of his country's faith and freedom.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE TWENTIETH OF FEBRUARY.

ANDREAS received his sentence in perfect calmness, though it appears to have been quite unexpected. To the last he had felt sure that his own Kaiser would be able to save him; but when all hope had to be given up he quietly set himself to prepare for the end.

At five o'clock, on the morning of the 20th, he was writing his last wishes to his brotherin-law in the Passeyr. The letter is still kept in the Wirthshaus am Sand, written in the Tyrolese dialect. It is difficult to translate, and some of it would scarcely be understood by English readers; this, however, is the gist of it.

'DEAREST HERR BROTHER,

'It is the Divine Will that I must here, in Mantua, exchange my temporal for the eternal life; but, God be thanked, by His Divine grace, it has appeared as easy to me as if I were to be led out to anything else. God will give me grace also in the last moment, that my soul . . . may be for ever free, where I shall pray to God for all to whom I owe prayers and for you and your dear wife, on account of the little book, and for other good deeds. Also all the good friends who still live must pray for me.

...

'My dearest wife or the landlady at St. Martin must have the masses said for me ... in both parishes. Bread and meat and half a bottle of wine is to be given to the friends at our house. And what money I have

I have given to the poor.

...

'May all fare well in the world till we meet in heaven, and there praise God for ever. All

the people of Passeyr and all friends must