fMl A mmm UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. Vol. XXVI. LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, MARCH 12, 1897. FREEMEN. Not as the prisoner toils In slow unspoaking siloneo at his task, But freemen at our work; We know the pile wo rear and fashion high And send the word between tlio hammer blows Katiiakinb Mumcic. No.gj, Often times, I would see their fingers slip round the handles of their swords mid grasp them tight and yet they know it not; that muchl could tell from the look on their faces. All this made me shiver and look around ovor my back. Tt was on the morning that father ami I had gone into the wood to cut logs that thoy might dry for the winter lire. Tho The Stroke of Uhard. It was in tho bad time when Howard had just diod and loft ovflrvf.liinor nnof tlO'.l. The yoars before this had "flown air was frosty and my collar burnod cold last and in the country about thero was ou mv nGGK and it bothered me when I o lighting as thero has boon ever since, swung my ax. 1 laid not yet grown used Only some fretted iu their castles and to ifc? though father said I would soon ; wished those good times ovor. and I could not help thinking of those WllPll lift flinrl imcn ,1 ,...!, i.1. " i whn rlirl unf. Mrotiv f.linvn mi, I i.l,n AXA ,t. --- v..v.vt, uiiuou umutt, lliUIUSULVOS " "" VL"-'- "vu " -" ""' cum tvuu UlUllUb nnk at tho news and piled their swords gh on tho table to be polished and nrow their armor clanging on tho floor !.b0 ,resh scoured. Even their horses, w told about, neighed at it, but of this wst I cannot suoni.- ,;!, ..j.- .4... uuiv iyiiiu uuniuuiuy. have to chop. Just before we finished the second tree, father broke his ax and must go to tlio castle and make anew handle for it. "i will finish before he comes back," I thought, and thought al.-o of his praise. " hether my master fook it ill or well J worked until tho collar becamo wet and cannot say for ho is a silent man and warm. I struck harder and deeper than KMmil'n ,.. . .. ... . ... at any timo tnac morning and at last tlio treo foil crashing down. spoalvs not ovor nnmh ' Wi,, n. ..., t w death came to his ears he said 10tl'Wi, although the muscles grew tight ly fllC0, L SfUV thi th wholo thoUhe hall; for I sat with the rest , 80 who wore tho collar. llio week that followed was a strange XJ I LI I tKlllllflM ri I I A1 .-.... ... Not knowing which tree must next como down, l seated myself behind a clump of bashes and wiped tho sweat froji my collar, for J. did not want it to froozo there and make my neck sore. f had boon sitting beneath tho bushes 1 . awiuuu uiieci witn somo J naa uooii sitwug uuuuaui uio uusnos oppressive. I could not toll what a few moments when 1 hoard oil; among - -' i was youngonly fourteon- TUn WOni th0 h''01, " a year. ,. tulh01' Save no answer to ,v ,,,,. HiM.r, w--- ww '"'oivin uu my ques l,08.Un(l,lkOttlM.lini.af . :,, A, ,. waiting lor something the troos, voices. I did not know whom it mighc be so I drow down beneath the bushes to hide as much- of myself as possible The persons stopped at the other side of the clump and wont on with their talk. .Mtit'l... ii. . locn.H S tJftPtn,s talked much of the clump and wont on with their talk. . 0(,t'lGr HI loW in II IK! n.,,-1 ..I . . I 1 4t...,i.i,-li tlw ill, -1,1 iM-iim..!..,! ...... at0 Oeoiu,toi' on the road his men would my master and two other men. I had 1' uimliskm and we would listen too. never seen either of them, but at the I I B w W