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I went there for the third time. He was not at home. The innkeeper said to me that next time I came there again, Herr L. would certainly pay me.

[In fact, Bräker had to call on Herr L. no fewer than eight times before being able to speak to him, and then he refused payment, using abusive language.]

Good God, how the little lieutenant began to foam and curse, so that I thought soon to see him draw his dagger on me. [...] I did not wish to come to blows with the lieutenant in a strange place, nor let myself be cheated. So I went straight away to the Herr Landesstatthalter, [deputy president] W-. I told him the whole story, as I have related it here, and showed him the writing. Ha, that is very clear, said he, the fellow must pay! I will call him here.

Without further ado, he sent his servant. The lieutenant soon appeared, but before the Landesstatthalter he struck a softer note, when it was represented to him that he was bound to pay by his written promise. But he continued stubbornly to refuse to pay, and took his leave. I asked the Landesstatthalter what I should do next. The shortest way is to distrain, said he. The captain is right here. I asked on the spot for distraint. At home we call it setting the day for goods. And I too took my leave. I said I would come again in four weeks' time and then proceed according to law. This was granted me, provided no objection resulted.

[A few days later Bräker was summoned to appear before the Great Council at Trogen.]

Now that was what I had been anticipating. Of course I wished the lawsuit to the devil.[...]. On the other hand this lawsuit gave me some satisfaction because it allowed me the opportunity to make a journey to Trogen, and see something of the chief town in a free canton, which I had not seen before. Then, too, to stand before the most respected men of the canton, the great criminal and civil court, that is the Great Council, and to allow my physiognomic inclinations free rein, that gratified me not a little.

So, I made myself ready for travel on the appointed day without anxiety and studied my case - not at all. The pleasure of making the journey, God knows, was more on my mind than my lawsuit. But in Herisau it was made clear to how one should appear respectably before the honourable Great Council, and how to speak there. But that I might have seen demonstrated to me in Trogen as large as life, as I saw and heard two parties before me make their bows and pay their addresses.

On the evening before the appointed day I wanted to go from St. Gallen to Trogen, so as to be certain of being on hand in the morning, but I did not know the way and it was getting dark. In a barber's shop I heard by chance one say he was in a hurry, he must go on to Trogen. I was pleased to hear that. I said: I also. If I might bear him company? Certainly, said he. There were two comrades of his at The Star who were to come too. That was fine by me. They knew the shortest footpaths. It was night. Before we came to Speicher we had been obliged to walk for over an hour in the dark, so that I had no benefit from the views. My comrades were friendly enough but they were rather rough characters from Appenzell, who carried on conversation and silly jokes among themselves in which I could bear no part. Judging from the lights that I saw, Speicher must be a fine village. My comrades fell out. One of them wanted to drink another half there, one was neutral, the third wanted to walk on to Trogen, and he won the victory, which suited me well. Otherwise I would have gone on with him alone.

They led me to the inn, the only one in Trogen and it was so stuffed with humanity that I ran the risk of having to seek a night's lodging in another house, if I had not met up with some acquaintances, who spoke a good word for me to the landlord, and by whose recommendation I at last got a small single bed, and was very well lodged, while elsewhere three or four were stuck in one bed together. At supper I heard that my opponent was already here, but I did not catch sight of him. They said he was staying with the Captain. I thought: oho, he will take his side. A

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