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54
WILLIAM TELL
“Now,” thought the crowd, “things must begin to get exciting.”
Tell's first idea was that one of the larger mountains in the neighbourhood had fallen on top of him. Then he thought that there must have been an earthquake. Then it gradually dawned upon him that he had been hit by a mere common soldier with a pike. Then he was angry.
“Look here!" he began.
“Look there!" said Friesshardt, pointing to the cap.
“You've hurt my head very much,” said Tell. “Feel the bump. If I hadn’t happened to have a particularly hard head I don't know what might not have happened;” and he raised his fist and hit Friesshardt; but as Friesshardt was wearing a thick iron helmet the blow did not hurt him very much.
But it had the effect of bringing the crowd to
