text: CHAPTER XII 
  
  The crowd fell back, leaving a lane down which Walter walked, carrying the apple. There was dead silence as he passed. Then the people began to whisper excitedly to one another. 
  
  "Shall this be done before our eyes?" said Arnold of Melchthal to Werner Stauffacher. "Of what use was it that we swore an oath to rebel if we permit this? Let us rise and slay the tyrant." 
  
  Werner Stauffacher, prudent man, scratched his chin thoughtfully. 
  
  "We-e-ll," he said, "you see, the difficulty is that we are not armed and the soldiers _are_. There is nothing I should enjoy more than slaying the tyrant, only I have an idea that the tyrant would slay us. You see my point?" 
  
  "Why were we so slow!" groaned Arnold. "We should have risen before, and then this would never have happened. Who was it that advised us to delay?" 
  
  "We-e-ll," said Stauffacher (who had himself advised delay), "I can't quite remember at the moment, but I dare say you could find out by looking up the minutes of our last meeting. I know the motion was carried by a majority of two votes. See! Gessler grows impatient." 
  
  Gessler, who had been fidgeting on his horse for some time, now spoke again, urging Tell to hurry. 
  
  "Begin!" he cried--"begin!" 
  
  "Immediately," replied Tell, fitting the arrow to the string. 
  
  Gessler began to mock him once more. 
  
  "You see now," he said, "the danger of carrying arms. I don't know if you have ever noticed it, but arrows very often recoil on the man who carries them. The only man who has any business to possess a weapon is the ruler of a country--myself, for instance. A low, common fellow--if you will excuse the description--like yourself only grows proud through being armed, and so offends those above him. But, of course, it's no business of mine. I am only telling you what I think about it. Personally, I like to encourage my subjects to shoot; that is why I am giving you such a splendid mark to shoot at. You see, Tell?" 