Theywenttobedatanearlyhour。AndreasHoferhadsentthetwoservantsdowntoBrandach，wheretheyweretogetsomearticlesnecessaryforthetriponthemorrow。Hoferandhiswifesleptintheroombelow。CajetanDoeningerandlittleJohnHoferlayinthesmallhay—loft，towhichaladderledupfromtheroom。
ButDoeningerdidnotsleep。HethoughtallthewhileofRaffel，whohadcomeuptherethreedaysagoandseenAndreas;hethoughtofDonay，thepriest，towhomRaffelhadbetrayedHofer\'splaceofconcealment。HeknewthatDonay，who，uptothedaysofadversity，hadalwaysprofessedtobeHofer\'sfriendandanextremepartisanoftheinsurrection，hadsuddenly，sincetheenemyhadreoccupiedtheTyrol，changedhiscolors，becomeapreacherofpeaceandsubmission，andanardentadherentoftheFrench，withwhoseofficersheheldagreatdealofintercourse。HeknewDonay\'savariciousandtreacherouscharacter，and，therefore，hetrembledforAndreasHofer\'ssafety。Helayuneasyandfullofanxietyonhiscouch，listeningallthewhileforsuspicioussounds。Butnothingwasheardbutthestormhowlingandwhistlingaboutthehut，andtheregularrespirationsofthetwosleepersintheroombelow。
Hourpassedafterhour;allremainedsilent，andDoeningerfeltsomewhatrelieved，fordaywouldsoondawn，whenthehourofflightwouldbeathand。Doeningerdroppedhisheadslowlyonthehaytosleepanhourandinvigoratehimselfforto—morrow\'strip。However，nosoonerhadhedonesothanhegaveastart，lifteduphisheadagain，andlistened。Hehadheardasoundoutside。Thesound，asitwere，ofmanyapproachingfootstepswhichcreakedonthefrozensnow。
Doeningercreptcautiouslytothesmallholeintheroofandlookedout。Themoonshedherpalelightonthewhitesnowfieldaroundthehut，andDoeningercouldseeandrecognizeeverything。Hesawadetachmentofsoldierscomingupyonder。Hesawthemhaltatashortdistancefromthehut。Hethensawtwoformsapproachingthehut。
Nowtheystoodstillinfrontofit。Themoonshonebrightlyintothefaceofoneofthem;Doeningerrecognizedhimatonce;itwasRaffel，thebetrayer。TheotherwasaFrenchofficer。Thelatterstoodstillatadistanceofsomestepsfromthehut，butRaffelwentcloseuptothedoor，appliedhiseartoitandlistened。