you know.  But the mob could not quit without doing something.  So it was resolved to give Gottlieb a good ducking in the river and send him into Kentucky with a warning not to come back.  They went down the ravine past Andrew’s castle to the river.  Mrs. Wehle followed, believing that her husband would be drowned, and little Wilhelmina ran and pulled the alarm and awakened the Backwoods Philosopher, who soon threw himself among them, but too late to dissuade them from their purpose, for Andrew’s own skiff, the “Grisilde” by name, with three of the soberest of the party, had already set out to convey Wehle, after one hasty immersion, to the other shore, while the rest stood round hallooing like madmen to prevent any alarm that Wehle might raise attracting attention on the other side.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE GIANT GREAT-HEART.

As soon as Andrew’s skiff, the “Grisilde,” was brought back and the ruffians had gone off up the ravine, Andrew left Mrs. Wehle sitting by the fire in the loom-room of the castle, while he crossed the river to look after Gottlieb.  Little Wilhelmina insisted on going with him, and as she handled a steering-oar well he took her along.  They found Gottlieb with his arms cruelly pinioned sitting on a log in a state of utter dejection, and dripping with water from his ducking.

“Ich zay, Antroo, ish dish vat dey galls a vree goontry, already?  A blace vare troonk sheounders dosh vot ever dey hadn’t ort!  Dat is vree koontry.  Mein knabe ish roon off ver liebin a Yangee; unt a vool he ish, doo.  Unt ich ish hoong unt troundt unt darrdt unt vedderd unt drakt out indoo de ribber, unt dolt if I ko back do mein vrau unt kinder I zhall pe kilt vunst more already.  Unt I shpose if ich shtays here der Gainduckee beobles vill hang me unt dar me unt trown me all over in der ribber, doo, already, pekoz I ish Deutsch.  Ich zay de voorld ish all pad, unt it aud doo pe vinished vunst already, I ton’t gare how quick, so ash dem droonk vools kit vot pelongs doo ’em venever Gabrel ploes his drumbet.”

[Illustration:  TO THE RESCUE.]

“They’ll get that in due time, my friend,” said Andrew, untying the rope with which Gottlieb had been pinioned.  “Come, let us go back to our own shore.”

“Bud daint my zhore no more.  Dey said I’d god doo hang again vanst more if I ever grossed de Ohio Ribber vunst again already, but I ton’t vants doo hang no more vor noddin already.”

“But I’ll take care of that,” said Andrew.  “Before to-morrow night I’ll make your house the safest place in Clark township.  I’ve got the rascals by the throat now.  Trust me.”

It took much entreaty on the part of Andrew and much weeping and kissing on the part of Wilhelmina to move the heart of the terrified Gottlieb.  At last he got into the skiff and allowed himself to be rowed back again, declaring all the way that he nebber zee no zich a vree koontry ash dish voz already.