space overgrown with short velvet grass, that
we pitched our camp for a day. We had
started from Coblentz in the early morning, a
merry party of some thirty individuals. By
means of waggonettes and such like contrivances,
we had reached a point on the opposite bank of
the river not far from this spot. Thence we
had walked down to the river-side where one of
the queer flat-bottomed wherries had conveyed
us across the Lahn, and at twelve o'clock
midday we found ourselves about to encamp, or in
other words pic-nic. The party consisted of Mr.
Alison, an English resident of Coblentz, and his
family, Mr. Barton and family— who were doing
the "grand tour"— seven young ladies guarded
by two fierce elderly "duennas," who were
supposed to instruct them in all the languages and
sciences under heaven, three Cambridge
undergraduates (a reading party), and a few others of
both sexes, who were indebted to Mr. Alison's
hospitality for their introduction to the party,
among whom I may reckon myself. Not far
from our pic-nic ground stood an old and ruinous
house, of considerable size, inhabited by no
one, save ghosts and jackdaws; but, never
theless, containing a large banqueting-hall or
ball-room in a tolerable state of preservation.
The use of this house had been very graciously
granted to our party by the German baron who
owned the property in the neighbourhood, and
it was understood that a dance in the ancient
mansion would close the proceedings of the day.

Dinner progressed favourably, amidst a general
clatter of knives, forks, and tongues. Pigeon-pies,
pies, sausage-rolls, sandwiches, cold fowls, a
kettle full of hot potatoes, peaches, apricots,
grapes and jellies, were quickly demolished,
whilst the popping of the corks securing
Moselle, and the gurgling of the "Rhein wein"
from long-necked bottles, showed that the
gentlemen were attentive in that quarter, and
formed a pleasant accompaniment to the general
confusion.

We adjourned to our ball-room. A capital
ball-room too, though there was no glass in the
windows, but that was so much the better for
ventilation. Of course there was no carpet on
the floor, but there was a capital oaken
pavement; there was also a capital crop of hay
sprouting out between the paving-stones, and
we noticed that much of the house had been
removed, the material doubtless rendering
excellent service towards the production of the
little hovels of the neighbouring village. Dancing
proceeded to the time of a German fiddler, or
violinist I should say, whose services had been
secured at Coblentz for the occasion. Quadrilles,
waltzes, polkas, galops, crowded one upon the
other. The two elderly ladies began to cast
wistful glances at their young charges, and at
last openly declared that they thought it was
getting rather late, and that they were afraid
we should not reach Coblentz before dark.
Accordingly their wishes were acceded to, and we
slowly made our way in twos and threes to
the ferry-boat, on the river-side. We found
our Charon (a morose old fellow, who seemed
to live entirely to himself, and by himself,
in a little hut on the river-side) ready to take
us; two or three ladies and gentlemen were
punted across, and Mr. Alison, with his son and
daughter, were about to follow, when two
Germans, who, from their dress and general appear
ance, evidently belonged to the mining population
of the district, stepped up to my friend
and demanded, in their native tongue, to see the
gentleman who had invited the pic-nic party to
this spot. "I am he," replied Mr. Alison,
rather surprised. " Then perhaps you will
instantly hand over five-and-twenty thalers
(three pounds ten shillings) for the use of that
room." Mr. Alison replied that he should do
no such thing, and in rather strong language
ordered the fellows off.

"You won't pay us!" cried the men; "we
shall see. Heigh! Karl—Bernard—Wilhelm."
One seized Alison by the collar, another took
his son by both arms, and all, accompanied by
other ruflians who had responded to the
summons, led off our friends in the direction of
the smelting furnace. Miss Alison, meanwhile,
had started off with a speed which only fear can
give, towards the ferry-boat, and in a few
minutes startled us all by her sudden appearance
and terrified looks and words. We quickly
determined that the ladies, with a strong guard
of gentlemen, should cross the river, while flve
of the party, of whom I was one, should proceed
to the rescue of Mr. Alison and his son.

We rushed through the wood in the direction
Mary Alison had pointed out, breaking brambles,
branches, and climbers on our way, and at
length found ourselves at the door of the
smelting-house. There seemed to be some unusual
excitement within, and the sound of Alison's
voice was drowned in the clamorous jargon of
the savage creatures who surrounded him. The
smelting-house was a large square building,
with four entrances, sufficient to admit of the
passage of a cart and horse; at one end was the
furnace, apparently then reducing ore, and
blazing with great ferocity; sand was arranged
on the floor to receive the molten stream when
it should be let out of its prison; and one of the
upper doors in the furnace was open, through
which the flames could be seen leaping up,
mingled with smoke. On entering, we found
our friends stripped of their clothes; the son
tied to a beam which formed a support to the
roof; the father pinioned, and about to be
fastened to a chain suspended from a crane,
which was probably used for shifting the metal
when cast. The Germans, six in number, were
in a state of great excitement, and seemed to
anticipate an excellent joke. It was evidently
their intention to hoist our poor friend, by
means of the crane, in front of the open door
of the furnace, and to roast him, while they
watched his struggles from below. It is hardly
credible that these ruffians should have
contrived such a diabolical outrage on an unoffending
person; but I write the exact truth, and
can only suppose that the men, being free from
work that day, had partaken rather too freely