"And I will likewise set out again to spread the news throughout the
country," said Martin Teimer. "For two weeks past I have been in all
parts of the Tyrol, and have worked everywhere for our cause, and
know now that we may count upon all our countrymen. They are waiting
for the signal, and we must give it to them. Here, take this
package; it contains a large number of those little paper balls upon
which are written the words ''Tis time!' Each of you can take a
handful of them and give them to your wives and children, that they
may carry them to the neighbors and distribute them everywhere.
Speckbacher and Wallner, too, have packages of such paper balls, and
so soon as our faithful messengers bring them our `open order,' they
will likewise send around their wives and children through the
neighborhood; and everywhere the cry will be, ''Tis time!' We must
expel the Bavarians! I will go now, for I must concentrate my men in
order to prevent the Bavarians from crossing the bridge of Laditch.
Farewell, then, and God grant that we may all meet again before long
as free and happy men at our good city of Innspruck!"

"We must go too," exclaimed the Tyrolese when Martin Teimer had left
the house as quickly as he had entered it. "We must go into the
mountains and inform our friends that it is time."

"But go through the kitchen, my dear messengers," said Andreas
Hofer; "there is a bag of flour for each of you; take it on your
back, and on passing during your march a rivulet or a mountain
torrent, throw some of the flour into it; and wherever you find dry
brushwood on the road, pile it up and kindle it, that the bale-fires
may proclaim to the country, ''Tis time!"

Half an hour afterward the large bar-room was deserted, and profound