this spear all seven of them took in their hands at once; in front walked the boldest and bravest, and that was master schulz; all the others followed in a row, and veitli was the last. then it came to pass one day in the hay-making month (july), when they had walked a long distance, and still had a long way to go before they reached the village where they were to pass the night, that as they were in a meadow in the twilight a great beetle or hornet flew by them from behind a bush, and hummed in a menacing manner. master schulz was so terrified that he all but dropped the spear, and a cold perspiration broke out over his whole body. "hark! hark!" cried he to his comrades, "good heavens! i hear a drum." jackli, who was behind him holding the spear, and who perceived some kind of a smell, said, "something is most certainly going on, for i taste powder and matches." at these words master schulz began to take to flight, and in a trice jumped over a hedge, but as he just happened to jump on to the teeth of a rake which had been left lying there after the hay-making, the handle of it struck against his face and gave him a tremendous blow. "oh dear! oh dear!"