< Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu
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388

WHOM THE GODS DESTROY

familiar sound of the fife and drum. The melody is the one which was later converted into a folk-song “When to us came the Prussians a-marching——” etc. It means that the vanguard is near the scene and that the invasion of Bohemia is continuing. The sound gains about a third in volume and designates thereby how rapidly the soldiers are approaching. Even Ebner, overcome and exhausted, sleeps.

Havlin is the only one to hear—he starts. His face is the face of a frightened madman.)

Havlin (Whispers).—They’re here—(More loudly.) They’re here—(Then victoriously.) No surrender—no surrender—(While he is saying this he creeps along the wall to the right over the bodies of the sleeping soldiers. He gazes out—now the fifes are quite near—then.)The officer! (He shouts this. Raises gun, rests it on the wall—aims—shoots.) Hst! The officer fell! (Now he jumps upon the wall and madly waving his gun calls out.) The officer’s hit! The officer fell! No surrender! No surrender! The officer! The officer! (The fifes have immediately stopped, then a shot from the enemy’s side rings out and Havlin like a dead bird is dashed to the ground. But now they’ve all awakened and they seem to realize in a moment, their conversation is sharp, quiet but hushed.)

Kloc.—The Prussians!

Spravil.—I have no other weapon than a sword.

Svacha.—Here is Suk’s gun.

(The gun is however torn out of his hand by Kovar.)

Kovar.—I have none myself and I want to shoot——

Spravil.—But what about me— I have none.

Soukup.—Here is another one—take this.

Ebner (Awakening).—Prussians?—Prussians here already. Let me go, loosen me—damn you!

(No one pays any attention to him.)

Svacha.—There’s only one here to lead, that’s he.

Vichodil.—Surely he’s the one.

Vonka (The moment he awoke he jumped to the wall and was peering out—now he returns to their midst).—How about yesterday’s oath. Swear over.

All the soldiers.—We swear.

Vonka.—In the defense of brothers.

All the soldiers.—And brotherhood in death.

Vonka.—Yesterday we fought with words, now we shall fight only in deeds.

Ebner (Desperately, on the ground).—Let me go.

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