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The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clichd sont filmdes d partir de Tangle sup6rieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la m6thode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 6 n 1 i^ _»\t__n^i^«^j|^t;i' THE STRONG ARM BY ROBERT BARR AUTHOR OF '■Tekla," "In the Midst of Alarms," "A Woman Intervenes," Etc., Etc. ^ TORONTO: WILLTAIVI BRIGQS. 1899. ? S g" ^'o s •s o / 258924 EK««„acco«lin, to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand ei«:ht hundred and ninetynine. by W.tLUM Bn.oo,. at tho Departnient of Agriculture. CONTENTS fAOU Chapter I. The Beautiful Jailer of Gudenfels i " II. The Rkvenge of the Outlaw 30 " III. A City of Fear 62 " IV. The Peril of the Emperor 83 " V. The Needle Dagger loi " VI. The Holy Fehm 128 The Count's Apology 157 Converted 181 An Invitation 199 The Archbishop's Gift 217 Count Konrad's Courtship 231 The Long Ladder 851 •'Gentlemen : the King I " 270 The Hour-Glass a86 The Warrior Maid of San Carlos . . 306 t'hf Ambassador's Pigeons 320 ! ! ■! I I 1 THE STRONG ARM CHAPTER I THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER OF GUDENFELS The aged Emir Soldan sat in his tent and smiled ; the crafty Oriental smile of an experienced man, deeply grounded in the wisdom of this world. He knew that there was incipient rebellion in his camp ; that the young commanders under him thought their leader was becoming too old for the fray ; caution overmaster- ing courage. Here were these dogs of unbelievers set- ting their unhallowed feet on the sacred soil of Syria, and the Emir, instead of dashing against them, coun- selled coolness and prudence. Therefore impatience disintegrated the camp and resentment threatened dis- cipline. When at last the murmurs could be no longer ignored the Emir gathered his impetuous young men together in his tent, and thus addressed them. " It may well be that I am growing too old for the active field ; it may be that, having met before this German boar who leads his herd of swine, I am fearful of risking my remnant of life against him, but I have ever been an indulgent general, and am now loath to let my inaction stand against your chance of distinction. Go you therefore forth against him, and the man who brings me this boar's head shall not lack his reward." I THE STRONG ARM Li I < The young men loudly cheered thiz decision and brandished their weapons aloft, while the old man smiled upon them and added : " When you are bringing confusion to the camp of the unbelievers, I shall remain in my tent and meditate on the sayings of the Prophet, praying him to keep you a good spear's length from the German's broad sword, which he is the habit of wielding with his two hands." The young Saracens went forth with much shouting, a gay prancing of the ho js underneath them and a marvellous flourishing of spears above them, but they learned more wisdom in their half hour's communion with the German than the Emir, in a long life of coun- selling, had been able to bestow upon them. The two- handed sword they now met for the first time, and the acquaintance brought little joy to them. Count Her- bert, the leader of the invaders, did no shouting, but reserved his breath for other purposes. He spurred his horse among them, and his foes went down around him as a thicket melts away before the well-swung axe of a stalwart woodman. The Saracens had little fear of death, but mutilation was another thing, for they knew that they would spend eternity in Paradise, shaped as they had left this earth, and while a spear's thrust or a wound from an arrow, or even the gash left by a short sword may be concealed by celestial robes, how is a man to comport himself in the Land of the Blest who is compelled to carry his head under his arm, or who is split from crown to midriff by an outlandish weapon that falls irresistible as the wrath of Allah ! Again and again they threw themselves with disastrous bravery against the invading horde, and after each encounter they came back with lessened ranks and a v.^ I f G t ■ ar • THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 3 more chastened spirit than when they had set forth. When at last, another counsel of war was held, the young men kept silence and waited for the smiling Emir to speak. " If you are satisfied that there are other things to think of in war than the giving and taking of blows I am prepared to meet this German, not on his own terms but on my own. Perhaps, however, you wish to try conclusions with him again ? " The deep silence which followed this inquiry seemed to indicate that no such desire animated the Emir's listeners, and the old man smiled benignly upon his audience and went on. " There must be no more disputing of my authority, either expressed or by implication. I am now pre- pared to go forth against him taking with me forty lancers." Instantly there was a protest against this ; the num- ber was inadequate, they said. " In his fortieth year our Prophet came to a moment- ous decision," continued the Emir, unheeding the in- terruption, " and I take a spear with me for every year of the Prophet's life, trusting that Allah will add to our number, at the prophet's intervention, should such an augmentation prove necessary. Get together then the forty oldest men under my command. Let them cumber themselves with nothing in the way of offence except one tall spear each, and see that every man is provided with water and dates for twenty days* suste- nance of horse and man in the desert." The Emir smiled as he placed special emphasis on the word " oldest," and the young men departed abashed to obey his orders. Next morning Count Herbert von Schonburg saw m T!IE STRONG ARM h I II : '- I near his camp by the water-holes a small group of horsemen standing motionless in the desert, their lances erect, butt downward, resting on the sand, the little company looking like an oasis of leafless poplars. The Count was instantly astride his Arab charger, at the head of his men, ready to meet whatever came, but on this occasion the enemy made no effort to bring on a battle, but remained silent and stationary, differing greatly from the hordes that had preceded it. " Well," cried the impatient Count, *' if Mahomet will not come to the mountain, the mountain for once will oblige him." He gave the word to charge, and put spurs to his horse, causing instant animation in the band of Sar- acens, who fled before him as rapidly as the Germans advanced. It is needless to dwell on the project of the Emir, who simply followed the example of the desert mirages he had so often witnessed in wonder. Never did the Germans come within touch of their foes, al- ways visible, but not to be overtaken. When at last Count Herbert was convinced that his horses were no match for the fleet steeds of his opponents he dis- covered that he and his band were hopelessly lost in the arid and pathless desert, the spears of the seem- ingly phantom host ever quivering before him in the tremulous heated aii against the cloudless horizon. Now all his energies were bent toward finding the way that led to the camp by the water-holes, but sense of locality seeded to have left him, andtne ghostly com- pany which hung so persistently on his flanks gave no indication of direction, but merely followed as before they had fled. One by one the Count's soldiers suc- cumbed, and when at last the forty spears hedged him round the Emir approached a prisoner incapable of THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 5 action. The useless sword which hung from his saddle was taken, and water was given to the exhausted man and his dying horse. When the Emir Soldan and his forty followers rode into camp with their prisoner there was a jubilant outcry, and the demand was made that the foreign dog be instantly decapitated, but the Emir smiled and, holding up his hand, said soothingly : " Softly, softly, true followers of the only Prophet. Those who neglected to remove his head while his good sword guarded it, shall not now possess them- selves of it, when that sword is in my hands." And against this there could be no protest, for the prisoner belonged to the Emir alone, and was to be dealt with as the captor ordained. When the Count had recovered speech, and was able to hold himself as a man should, the Emir summoned him, and they had a conference together in Soldan's tent. " Western barbarian," said the Emir, speaking in that common tongue made up of languages Asiatic and European, a strange mixture by means of which invaders and invaded communicated with each other, " who are you and from what benighted land do you come ? " "lam Count Herbert von Schonburg. My castle overlooks the Rhine in Germany." ** What is the Rhine? A province of which you are the ruler ? " "No, your Highness, it is a river; a lordly stream that never diminishes, but flows unceasingly between green vine-clad hills ; would that I had some of the vintage therefore to cheer me in my captivity and remove the taste of this brackish water I " 6 THE STRONG ARM " In the name of the Prophet, then, why did you leave it ? " " Indeed, your Highness, I have often asked myself that question of late and found but insufficient an- swer." ** If I give you back your sword, which not I, but the demon Thirst captured from you, will you pledge me your word that you will draw it no more against those of my faith, but will return to your own land, safe escort being afforded you to the great sea where you can take ship ? " "As I have fought for ten years, and have come no nearer Jerusalem than where I now stand, I am con- tent to give you my word in exchange for my sword, and the escort you promise." And thus it came about that Count Herbert von Schonburg, although still a young man, relinquished all thought of conquering the Holy Land, and found himself one evening, after along march, gazing on the placid bosom of the broad Rhine, which he had not seen since he bade good-bye to it, a boy of twenty-one, then as warlike and ambitious, as now he was peace loving and tired of strife. The very air of the Rhine valley breathed rest and quiet, and Herbert, with a deep sigh, welcomed the thought of a life passed in comforting uneventfulness. " Conrad," he said to his one follower, " I will en- camp here for the night. Ride on down the Rhine, I beg of you, and cross the river where you may, that you may announce my coming some time before I ar- rive. My father is an old man, and I am the last of the race, so I do not wish to come unexpectedly on him ; therefore break to him with caution the fact that I am in the neighbourhood, for hearing nothing from I TH£ BEAUTIFUL jAlLEil i me all these years it is like to happen he believes me dead." Conrad rode down the path by the river and dis- appeared while his master, after seeing to the welfare of his horse, threw himself down in a thicket and slept the untroubled sleep of the seasoned soldier. It was daylight when he was awakened by the tramp of horses. Starting to his feet, he was confronted by a grizzled warrior with half a dozen men at his back, and at first the Count thought himself again a prisoner, but the friendliness of the ofificer soon set all doubts at rest. "Are you Count Herbert von Schonburg?" asked the intruder. " Yes. Who are you ? ** ** I am Richart, custodian of Castle Gudenfels, and commander of the small forces possessed by her Ladyship, Countess von Falkenstein. I have to acquaint you with the fact that your servant and mes- senger has been captured. Your castle of hchonburg is besieged, and Conrad, unaware, rode straight into custody. This coming to the ears of my lady the Countess, she directed me to intercept you if possible, so that you might not share the fate of your servant, and offer to you the hospitality of Gudenfels Castle until such time as you had determined what to do in relation to the siege of your own." " I give my warmest thanks to the Countess for her thoughtfulness. " Is her husband the Count then dead ? " It is the young Countess von Falkenstein whose orders I carry. Her father and mother are both dead, and her Ladyship, their only child, now holds Guden- fels." s THE STRONG ARM i " What, that little girl ? She was but a child when I left the Rhine." " Her Ladyship is a woman of nineteen now." ** And how long has my father been besieged ?" ** Alas ! it grieves me to state that your father, Count von Schonburg, has also passed away. He has been dead these two years." The young man bowed his head and crossed him- self. For a long time he rode in silence, meditating upon this unwelcome intelligence, grieved to think that such a desolate home-coming awaited him. " Who, then, holds my castle against the besiegers ? " " The custodian Heinrich has stubbornly stood siege since the Count, your father, died, saying he car- ries out the orders of his lord until the return of the son." " Ah ! if Heinrich is in command then is the castle safe," cried the young man, with enthusiasm. " He is a born warrior and first taught me the use of the broad- sword. Who besieges us ? The Archbishop of May- ence ? He was ever a turbulent prelate and held spite against our house." Richart shifted uneasily in his saddle, and for the moment did not answer. Then he said, with hesitation : " I think the Archbishop regards the siege with favour, but I know little of the matter. My Lady, the Countess, will possess you with full information." Count Herbert looked with astonishment upon the custodian of Castle Gudenfels. Here was a contest going on at his very doors, even if on the opposite side of the river, and yet a veteran knew nothing of the contest. But they were now at the frowning gates of Castle Gudenfels, with its lofty square pinnacled tower, and the curiosity of the young Count was THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 9 dimmed by the admiration he felt for this great stronghold as he gazed upward at it. An instant later he with his escort passed through the gateway and stood in the courtyard of the castle. When he had dismounted the Count said to Richart : " I have travelled far, and am not in fit state to be presented to a lady. Indeed, now that I am here, I dread the meeting. I have seen nothing of women for ten years, and knew little of them before I left the Rhine. Take me, I beg of you, to a room where I may make some preparation other than the camp has heretofore afforded, and bring me, if you can, a few garments with which to replenish this faded, torn and dusty apparel." "My Lord, you will find everything you wish in the rooms allotted to you. Surmising your needs, I gave orders to that effect before I left the castle." " That was thoughtful of you, Richart, and I shall not forget it." The Custodian without replying led his guest up one stair and then another. The two traversed a long passage until they came to an open door. Richart standing aside, bowed low, and entreated his lordship to enter. Count Herbert passed into a large room from which a doorway led into a smaller apartment which the young man saw was fitted as a bedroom. The rooms hung high over the Rhine, but the view of the river was impeded by the numerous heavy iron bars which formed a formidable lattice-work before the windows. The Count was about to thank his conduc- tor for providing so sumptuously for him, but, turning, he was amazed to see Richart outside with breathless eagerness draw shut the strong door that led to the passage from which he had entered, and a moment later, 10 THE STRONG ARM i : Herbert heard the ominous sound of stout bolts being shot into their sockets. He stood for a moment gaz- ing blankly now at the bolted door, now at the barred window, and then slowly there came to him the know- ledge which would have enlightened a more suspicious man long before — that he was a prisoner in the grim fortress of Gudenfels. Casting his mind backward over the events of the morning, he now saw a dozen sinister warnings that had heretofore escaped him. If a friend- ly invitation had been intended, what need of the numerous guard of armed men sent to escort him ? Why had Richart hesitated when certain questions were asked him ? Count Herbert paced up and down the long room, reviewing with clouded brow the events of the past few hours, beginning with the glorious free- dom of the open hillside in the early dawn and ending with these impregnable stone walls that now environed him. He was a man slow to anger, but resentment once aroused, burned in his heart with a steady fervour that was unquenchable. He stopped at last in his aimless pacing, raised his clinched fist toward the tim- bered ceiling, and cursed the Countess von Falkenstein. In his striding to and fro the silence had been broken by the clank of his sword on the stone floor, and he now smiled grimly as he realised that they had not dared to deprive him of his formidable weapon ; they had caged the lion from the distant desert without having had the courage to clip his claws. The Count drew his broadsword and swung it hissing through the air, measuring its reach with reference to the walls on either hand, then, satisfying himself that he had free play, he took up a position before the door and stood there motionless as the statue of a war-god. " Now, by the Cross I fought for," he muttered to THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER I! himself, " the first man who sets foot across this thresh- old enters the chamber of death." He remained thus, leaning with folded arms on the hilt of his long sword, whose point rested on the flags of the floor, and at last his patience was rewarded. He heard the rattle of the bolts outside, and a tense eagerness thrilled his stalwart frame. The door came cautiously inward for a space of perhaps two feet and was then brought to a stand by the tightening links of a stout chain, fastened one end to the door, the other to the outer wall. Through the space that thus gave a view of the wide outer passage the Count saw Richart stand with pale face, well back at a safe dis- tance in the centre of the hall. Two men-^.t-arms held a position behind their master. " My Lord," began Richart in trembling voice, " her Ladyship, the Countess, desires " " Open the door, you cringing Judas ! " interrupted the stern command of the count ; " open the door and set me as free as your villainy found me. I hold no parley with a traitor." '* My Lord, I implore you to listen. No harm is intended you, and my Lady, the Countess, asks of you a conference touching " The heavy sword swung in the air and came down upon the chain with a force that made the stout oaken door shudder. Scattering sparks cast a momentary glow of red on the whitened cheeks of the startled on- lookers. The edge of the sword clove the upper cir- cumference of an iron link, leaving the severed ends gleaming like burnished silver, but the chain still held. Again and again the sword fell, but never twice in the same spot, anger adding strength to the blows, but subtracting skill. !d THE STRONG ARM llh " My Lord ! my Lord ! " beseeched Richart, " restrain your fury. You cannot escape from this strong castle even though you sever tlic chain." " I'll trust my sword for that," muttered the pris- oner between his set teeth. There now rang out on the conflict a new voice ; the voice of a woman, clear and commanding, the tones instinct with that inborn quality of imperious authority which expects and usually obtains instant obedience. ** Close the door, Richart," cried the unseen lady. The servitor made a motion to obey, but the swoop of the sword seemed to paralyse him where he stood. He cast a beseeching look at his mistress, which said as plainly as words: "You are ordering me to my death." The Count, his weapon high in mid-air, sud- denly swerved it from its course, for there appeared across the opening a woman's hand and arm, white and shapely, fleecy lace falling away in dainty folds from the rounded contour of the arm. The small, firm hand grasped bravely the almost severed chain and the next instant the door was drawn shut, the bolts clanking into their places. Count Herbert, paused, leaning on his sword, gazing bewildered at the closed door. " Ye gods of war ! " he cried ; " never have I seen before such cool courage as that ! " For a long time the Count walked up and down the spacious room, stopping now and then at the window to peer through the iron grille at the rapid current of the river far below, the noble stream as typical of freedom as were the bars that crossed his vision, of captivity. It seemed that the authorities of the castle had abandoned all thought of further communication THE L LAUTIFUL JAILER 13 with their truculent prisoner. Finally he entered the inner room and flung himself down, booted and spurred as he was, upon the couch, and, his sword for a bed- mate, slept. The day was far spent when he awoke, and his first sensation was that of gnawing hunger, for he was a healthy man. His next, that he had heard in his sleep the cautious drawing of bolts, as if his enemies purposed to project themselves surreptitiously in upon him, taking him at a disadvantage. He sat upright, his sword ready for action, and listened in- tently. The silence was profound, and as the Count sat breathless, the stillness seemed to be emphasised rather than disturbed by a long-drawn sigh which sent a thrill of superstitious fear through the stalwart frame of the young man, for he well knew that the Rhine was infested with spirits animated by evil intentions toward human beings, and against such spirits his sword was but as a willow wand. He remembered with renewed awe that this castle stood only a few leagues above the Lurlei rocks where a nymph of un- earthly beauty lured men to their destruction, and the knight crossed himself as a protection against all such. Gathering courage from this devout act, and abandon- ing his useless weapon, he tiptoed to the door that led to the larger apartment, and there found his worst anticipations realised. With her back against the closed outer door stood a Siren of the Rhine, and, as if to show how futile is the support of the Evil One in a crisis, her very lips were pallid with fear and her blue eyes were wide with apprehension, as they met those of the Count von Schonburg. Her hair, the colour of ripe yellow wheat, rose from her smooth white forehead and descended in a thick braid that almost reached to the floor. She was dressed in the 14 THE STRONG ARM li i! humble garb of a serving maiden, the square bit of lace on her crown of fair hair and the apron she wore, as spotless as new fallen snow. In her hand she held a tray which supported a loaf of bread and a huge flagon brimming with wine. On seeing the Count, her quick breathing stopped for the moment and she dropped a low courtesy. " My Lord," she said, but there came a catch in her throat, and she could speak no further. Seeing that he had to deal with no spirit, but with an inhabitant of the world he knew and did not fear, there arose a strange exultation in the heart of the Count as he looked upon this fair representative of his own country. For ten years he had seen no woman, and now a sudden sense of what he had lost over- whelmed him, his own breath coming quicker as the realisation of this impressed itself upon him. Kc strode rapidly toward her, and she seemed to shrink into the wall at his approach, wild fear springing into her eyes, but he merely took the laden tray from her trembling hands and placed it upon a bench. Then raising the flagon to his lips, he drank a full half of its contents before withdrawing it. A deep sigh of satisfaction followed, and he said, somewhat shame- facedly : " Forgive my hurried greed, maiden, but the thirst of the desert seems to be in my throat, and the good wine reminds me that I am a German." " It was brought for your use," replied the girl, de- murely, " and I am gratified that it meets your com- mendation, my Lord." •' And so also do you, my girl. What is your name and who are you ? " " I am called Beatrix, my Lord, a serving-maid of 1 m THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 15 1 this castle, tlie dau<;htcr of the woodman Wilhclm, and, alas ! that it should be so, for the present your jailer." *' If I quarrelled as little with my detention, as I see I am like to do with my keeper, I fear captivity would hold me long in thrall. Are the men in the castle such cravens then that they bestow so unwelcome a task upon a woman ? " "The men are no cravens, my Lord, but this castle is at war with yours, and for each man there is a post. A woman would be less missed if so brave a warrior as Count von Schonburg thought fit to war upon us." " But a woman makes war upon me, Beatrix. What am I to do? Surrender humbly?" " Brave men have done so before now and will again, my Lord, where women are concerned. At least," added Beatrix, biushing and casting down her eyes, " I have been so informed." "And small blame to them," cried the count, with enthusiasm. *' I swear to you, my girl, that if women warriors were like the woodman's daughter, I would cast away all arms except these with which to enclasp her." And he stretched out his hands, taking a step nearer, while she shrank in ala m from him. " My Lord, I am but an humble messenger, and I beg of you to listen to what I am asked to say. My Lady, the Countess, has commissioned me to tell you that " A startling malediction of the Countess that ac- corded ill with the scarlet cross emblazoned on the young man's breast, interrupted the girl. " I hold no traffic with the Countess," he cried. " She has treacherously laid me by the heels, coming § li if-T i6 THE STRONG ARM ! 'I ii 1 'i ii; II as I did from battling for the Cross that she doubtless professes to regard as sacred." " It was because she feared you, my Lord. These years back talcs of your valour in the Holy Land have come to the Rhine, and now you return to find your house at war with hers. What was she to do ? The chances stood even with only your underling in com- mand ; judge then what her fate must be with your strong sword thrown in the balance against her. All's fair in war, said those who counselled her. What would you have done in such an extremity, my Lord?" " What would I have done ? I would have met my enemy sword in hand and talked with him or fought with him as best suited his inclination." ** But a lady cannot meet you, sword in hand, my Lord." The Count paused in the walk he had begun when the injustice of his usage impressed itself once more upon him. He looked admiringly at the girl. " That is most true, Beatrix. I had forgotten. Still, I should not have been met with cozenry. Here came I from starvation in the wilderness, thirst in the desert, and from the stress of the battle-field, back to mine own land with my heart full of yearning love for it and for all within its boundaries. I came even from prison, captured in ^air fight, by an untaught heathen, whose men lay slain by my hand, yet with the nobility of a true warrior, he asked neither ransom nor hostage, but handed back my sword, saying, * Go in peace.' That in a heathen land ! but no sooner does my foot rest on this Christian soil than I am met by false smiles and lying tongues, and my welcome to a neighbour's house is the clank of the inthrust bolt," I ! 3ubtless These nd have id your ? The in com- th your •. All's What ty, my net my fought id, my I when more T^otten. Here in the ack to )ve for n from athen, obility )stage, Deace.* / foot smiles hour's TH^ ftEAUttFUL JAiLER tf I " Oh, it was a shameful act and not to be defended," cried the girl, with moist eyes and quivering lip, the sympathetic reverberation of her voice again arresting the impatient steps of the young man, causing him to pause and view her with a feeling that he could not understand, and which he found some difficulty in controlling. Suddenly all desire for restraint left him, he jprang forward, clasped the girl in his arms and drew her into the middle of the room, where she could not give the signal that might open the door. " My Lord! my Lord ! " she cried in terror, strug- gling without avail to free herself. '* You said all's fair in war and saying sc, gave but half the proverb, which adds, all's fair in love as well, and maiden, nymph of the woodland, so rapidly does a man learn that which he has never been taught, I proclaim with confidence that I love thee." "A dififident and gentle lover you prove yourself!" she gasped with rising indignation, holding him from her. " Indeed, my girl, there was little of diffidence or gentleness in my warring, and my wooing is like to have a touch of the same quality. It is useless to struggle for I have thee firm, so take to yourself some of that gentleness you recommend to me." He strove to kiss her, but Beatrix held her head far from him, her open pal' pressed against the red cross that glowed upon his breast, keeping him thus at arm's length. " Count von Schonburg, what is the treachery of any other compared with yours ? You came heedlessly into this castle, suspecting as you say, no danger ; I came within this room to do you service, knowing my peril, but trusting to the honour of a true soldier of the f ii ill :li 18 THE STRONG ARM I '! I jl ! Cross, and this is my reward ! First tear from your breast this sacred emblem, valorous assaulter of a defenceless woman, for it should be worn by none but stainless gentlemen." Count Herbert's arms relaxed, and his hands dropped listless to his sides. " By my sword," he said, " they taught you invec- tive in the forest. You are free. Go." The girl made no motion to profit by her newly acquired liberty, but stood there, glancing sideways at him who scowled menacingly at her. When at last she spoke, she said, shyly : " I have not yet fulfilled my m.ission." " Fulfil it then in the fiend's name and begone." " Will you consent to see my Lady the Countess?* " No." " Will you meet an envoy on her behalf ? " " No." " Will you promise not to make war upon her if you are released ? " " No." " If, in spite of your boorishness, she sets you free, what will you do ?" *' I will rally my followers to my banner, scatter the forces that surround my castle, then demolish this prison trap." *' Am I in truth, to carry such answers to the Count- ess r " You are to do as best pleases you, now and for ever. ** I am but a simple serving-maid, and know nothing of high questions of state, yet it seems to me such replies do not oil prison bolts, and believe me, I grieve to see you thus detained." THE BEAUTIFU)\ JAILER 19 rom your ter of a none but dropped )U invec- :;r newly evvays at t>ne." ntess ? *■ ir if you ou freCj ttcr the ish this Count- and for lothing le such grieve " I am grateful for your confederation. Is your embassy completed ? " The girl, her eyes on the stone t'^or, paused long before replying, then said, giving n>^ warning of a change of subject, and still not raising her eyes to his : " You took me by surprise ; I am not used to being handled roughly ; you forget the distance between your station and mine, you be ng a noble of the Em- pire, and I but a serving-maid ; if, in my anger, I spoke in a manner unbecoming one so humble, I do beseech that your Lordship pardon me." " Now by the Cross to which you appealed, how long will you stand chattering there? Think you I am mu.de of adamant, and not of flesh and blood ? My garments are tattered at best, I would in woman's com- pany they were finer, and this cross of Genoa red hangs to my tunic, but by a few frail threads. Be- ware, therefore, that I tear it not from my breast as you advised, and cast it from me." Beatrix lifted one frightened glance to the young man's face and saw standing on his brow great drops of sweat. His right hand grasped the upper portion of the velvet cross, partly detached from his doublet, and he looked loweringly upon her. Swiftly she smote the door twice with her hand and instantly the portal opened as far as the chain would allow it. Count Herbert noticed that in the interval, three other chains had been added to the one that formerly had baffled his sword. The girl, like a woodland pigeon, darted underneath the lower chain, and although the prisoner took a rapid step forward, the door, with greater speed, closed and was bolted. The Count had requested the girl to be gone, and surely should have been contented now that she had U l! Ill ^-T 20 THE STRONG ARM i 1 1 ,1 li-^ II withdrawn herself, yet so shifty a thing is human na- ture, that no sooner were his commands obeyed than he began to bewail their fulfilment. He accused him- self of being a double fool, first, for not holding her when he had her ; and secondly, having allowed her to depart, he bemoaned the fact that he had acted rudely to her, and thus had probably made her return impos- sible. His prison seemed inexpressibly dreary lacking her presence. Once or twice he called out her name, but the echoing empty walls alone replied. For the first time in his life the heavy sleep of the camp deserted him, and in his dreams he pursued a phantom woman, who continually dissolved in his grasp, now laughingly, now in anger. The morning found him deeply depressed, and he thought the unaccustomed restraints of a prison were having their effect on the spirits of a man heretofore free. He sat silently on the bench watching the door. At last, to his great joy, he heard the rattle of bolts being withdrawn. The door opened slowly to the small extent allowed by the chains, but no one entered and the Count sat still, concealed from the view of whoever stood without. " My Lord Count," came the sweet tones of the girl and the listener with joy, fancied he detected in it a suggestion of apprehension, doubtless caused by the fact that the room seemed deserted. '* My Lord Count, I have brought your breakfast ; will you not come and receive it ? " Herbert rose slowly and came within range of his jailer's vision. The girl stood in the hall, a repast that would have tempted an epicure arrayed on the wooden trencher she held in her hands. " Beatrix, come in," he said. 'H U- THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 21 man na- ''ed than 5ed him- ding her d her to 1 rudely 1 impos- lacking r name, 3 of the rsued a in his and he )n were etofore e door, •f bolts to the mtered 'lew of :he girl in it a by the Lord )u not of his 5t that ooden m " I fear that in stooping, some po'-tion of this burden may fall. Will you not take the trencher? " The young man stepped to the opening and, taking the tray from her, placed it on the bench as he had previously done ; then repeated his invitation. " You were displeased with my company before, my Lord, and I am loath again to offend." " Beatrix, I beg you to enter. I have something to say to you." " Stout chains bar not words, my Lord. Speak and I shall listen." " What I have to say, is for your ear alone.** "Then are the conditions perfect for such converse, my Lord. No guard stands within this hall." The Count sighed deeply, turned and sat again on the bench, burying his face in his hands. The maiden having given excellent reasons why she should not enter, thus satisfying her sense of logic, now set logic at defiance, slipped under the lowest chain and stood within the room, and, so that there might be no ac- cusation that she did things by halves, closed the door leaning her back against it. The knight looked up at her. and saw that she too had rested but indifferently. Her lovely eyes half veiled., showed traces of weeping, and there was a wistful expression in her face that touched him tenderly, and made him long for her ; nevertheless he kept a rigid government upon himself, and sat there regarding her, she flushing slightly under his scrutiny, not daring to return his ardent gaze. " Beatrix," he said slowly, " I have acted towards you like a boor and a ruffian, as indeed I am ; but let this plead for me, that I have ever been used to the roughness of the camp, bereft of gentler influences. J ask your forgiveness." iH s 22 THE STRONG ARM 1 I'llll ''i' " There is nothing to forgive. You are a noble of the Empire, and I but a lowly serving-maid." " Nay, that cuts me to the heai ., and is my bitterest condemnation. A true man were courteous to high and low alike. Now, indeed, you overwhelm me with shame, maiden of the Woodlands." " Such was not my intention, my Lord. I hold you truly noble in nature as well as in rank, otherwise I stood not here." ** Beatrix, does any woodlander come from the forest to the castle walls and there give signal intended for you alone? " " Oh, no, my Lord." " Perhaps you have kindly preference for some one within this stronghold ? " " You forget, my Lord, that the castle is ruled by a lady, and that the preference you indicate would accord ill with her womanly government." " In truth I know little of woman's rule, but given such, I suppose the case would stand as you say. The Countess then frowns upon lovers* meetings." ** How could it be otherwise ?" " Have you told her of — of yesterday ? " "You mean of your refusal to come to terms with her? Yes, my Lord." " I mean nothing of the kind, Beatrix." " No one outside this room has been told aught to your disadvantage, my Lord," said the girl blushing rose-red. " Then she suspects nothing ? " " Suspects nothing of what, my Lord ? " " That I love you, Beatrix." The girl caught her breath, and seemed about to fly, but gathering courage, remained, and said speaking hurriedly and in some gonfusion ; i THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 23 »ble of " As I did not suspect it myself I see not how my Lady should have made any such surmise, but indeed it may be so, for she chided me bitterly for remaining so long with you, and made me weep with her keen censure ; yet am I here now against her express wish and command, but that is because of my strong sym- pathy for you and my belief that the Countess has wrongfully treated you." " I care nothing for the opinion of that harridan, ex- cept that it may bring harsh usage to you ; but Beatrix, I have told you bluntly of my love for you, answer me as honestly." " My Lord, you spoke just nowof a woodlander " "Ah, there is one then. Indeed, I feared as much, for there can be none on all the Rhine as beautiful or as good as you." ** There are many woodlanders, my Lord, and many women more beautiful than I. What I was about to say was that I would rather be the wife of the poorest forester, and lived in the roughest hut on the hillside, than dwell otherwise in the grandest castle on the Rhine. " Surely, surely. But you shall dwell in my castle of Schonburg as my most honoured wife, if you but will it so." ** Then, my Lord, I must bid you beware of what you propose. Your wife must be chosen from the highest in the land, and not from the lowliest. It is not fitting that you should endeavour to raise a serving- maid to the position of Countess von Schonburg. You would lose caste among your equals, and bring unhappiness upon us both." Count Herbert grasped his sword and lifting it, cried angrily ; It 24 THE STRONG ARM ii i \\ " By the Cross I serve, the man wh* refuses to greet my wife as he would greet the Empress, shall feel the weight of this blade." " You cannot kill a whisper with a sword, my Lord." " I can kill the whisperer." " That can you not, my Lord, for the whisperer will be a woman." " Then out upon them, we will have no traflfic with them. I have lived too long away from the petty re- strictions of civilisation to be bound down by them now, for I come from a region where a man's sword and not his rank preserved his life." As he spoke he again raised his huge weapon aloft, but now held it by the blade so that it stood out against the bright window like a black cross of iron, and his voice rang forth defiantly : " With that blade I won my honour ; by the symbol of its hilt I hope to obtain my soul's salvation, on both united I swear to be to you a true lover and a loyal husband." With swift motion the girl covered her face with her hands and Herbert saw the crystal drops trickle between her fingers. For long she could not speak and then mastering her emotion, she said brokenly ; " I cannot accept, I cannot now accept. I can take no advantage of a helpless prisoner. At midnight I shall come and set you free, thus my act may atone for the great wrong of your imprisonment ; atone partially if not wholly. When you are at liberty, if you wish to forget your words, which I can never do, then am I amply repaid that my poor presence called them forth. If you remember them, and demand of the Countess that I stand as hostage for peace, she is scarce likely to deny you, for she loves not war. But know that nothing you have said is to be held against you, for I i THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 25 greet el the .ord." r will would have you leave this castle as free as when you entered it. And now, my Lord, farewell." Before the unready man could make motion to pre- vent her, she had opened the door and was gone, leav- ing it open, thus compelling the prisoner to be his own jailer and close it, for he had no wish now to leave the castle alone when he had been promised such guidance. The night seemed to Count Herbert the longest he had ever spent, as he sat on the bench, listening for the withdrawing of the bolts, if indeed they were in their sockets, which he doubted. At last the door was pushed softly open, and bending under the chain, he stood in the outside hall, peering through the darkness, to catch sight of his conductor. A great window of stained glass occupied the southern end of the hall, and against it fell the rays of the full moon now high in the heavens, filling the dim and lofty apart- ment with a coloured radiance resembling his visions of the half tones of fairyland. Like a shadow stood the cloaked figure of the girl, who timidly placed her small hand in his great palm, and that touch gave a thrill of reality to the mysticism of the time and the place. He grasped it closely, fearing it might fade away from him as it had done in his dream. She led him silently by another way from that by which he had entered, and together they passed through a small doorway that communicated with a narrow circular stair which wound round and round downwards until they came to another door at the bottom, which let them out in the moonlight at the foot of a turret. " Beatrix," whispered the young man, " I am not going to demand you of the Countess, J ghall not be It!" ill II ( 26 THE STRONG ARM indebted to her for my wife. You must come with me now." " No, no," cried the girl shrinking from him, " I cannot go with you thus surreptitiously, and no one but you and me must ever learn that I led you from the castle. You shall come for me as a lord should for his lady, as if he thought her worthy of him." " Indeed, that do I. Worthy ? It is I who am un- worthy, but made more worthy I hope in that you care for me." From where they stood the knight saw the moon- light fall on his own castle of Schonburg, the rays seeming to transform the grey stone into the whitest of marble, the four towers standing outlined against the blue of the cloudless sky. The silver river of ro- mance, flowed silently at its feet reflecting again the snowy purity of the reality in an inverted quivering watery vision. All the young man's affection for the home he had not seen for years seemed to blend with his love for the girl standing there in the moonlight. Gently he drew her to him, and kissed her unresisting lips. " Woodland maiden," he said tenderly, " here at the edge of the forest is your rightful home and not in this grim castle, and here will I woo thee again, being now a free man." " Indeed," said the girl with a laugh in which a sob and a sigh intermingled, *' it is but scanty freedom I have brought to you ; an exchange of silken fetters for iron chains." His arms still around her, he unloosed the ribbon that held in thrall the thick braid of golden hair, and parting the clustering strands speedily encompassed ^i ;_ THE BEAUTIFUL JAILER 27 m, "I no one you a lord thv of her in a cloak of misty fragrance that seemed as un- substantial as the moonlight that glittered through its meshes. He stood back the better to admire the picture he seemed to have created. " My darling," he cried, " you are no woodland woman, but the very spirit of the forest herself. You are so beautiful, I dare not leave you here to the mer- cies of this demon, who, finding me gone, may revenge herself on you. If before she dared to censure you, what may she not do now that you have set me free ? Curse her that she stands for a moment between my love and me." He raised his clenched fist and shook It at the tower above him, and seemed about to break forth in new maledictions against the lady, when Beatrix, clasping her hands cried in terror : " No, no, Herbert, you have said enough. How can you pretend to love me when implacable hatred lies so near to your affection. You must forgive the Countess. Oh, Herbert, Herbert, what more could I do to atone ? I have withdrawn my forces from around your castle ; I have set you free and your path to Schonburg lies unobstructed. Even now your underling, thinking himself victorious, is preparing an expedition against me, and nothing but your word stands between me and instant attack. Ponder, I beseech of you, on my position. War, not of my seeking, was bequeathed to me, and a woman who cannot fight must trust to her advisers, and thus may do what her own heart re- volts against. They told me that if I made you pris- oner I could stop the war, and thus I consented to that act of treachery for which you so justly condemn me." " Beatrix," cried her amazed lover, "what madness has come over you ? " i 28 THE STRONG ARM " No madness touched mc, Herbert, until I met ycu, and 1 sometimes think that you have brought back with you the eastern sorcery of which I have heard — at least such may perhaps make excuse for my un- maidenly behaviour. Herbert, I am Beatrix of Guden- fels, Countess von Falkenstein, who is and ever will be, if you refuse to pardon her, a most unhappy woman." *• No woodland maiden, but the Countess ! The Countess von Falkenstein!" murmured her lover more to himself than to his eager listener, the lines on his perplexed brow showing that he was endeavouring to adjust the real and the ideal in his slow brain. " A Countess, Herbert, who will joyfully exchange the privileges of her station for the dear preference shown to the serving-maid." A smile came to the lips of Von Schonburg as he held out his hands, in which the Countess placed her own. " My Lady Beatrix," he said, " how can I refuse my pardon for the first encroachment on my liberty, now that you have made me your prisoner for life ? " " Indeed, my captured lord," cried the girl, " you are but now coming to a true sense of your predicament. I marvelled that you felt so resentful about the first offence, when the second was so much more serious. Am I then forgiven for both?" It seemed that she was, and the Count insisted on re- turning to his captivity, and coming forth the next day, freed by her commands, whereupon, in the presence of all her vassals, he swore allegiance to her with such deference that her advisers said to her that she must now see they had been right in counselling his imprison- ITjcut. rdson, they said, had 3^ wonderfully (^uietin^^ THE BEAUTI^'UL JAILER 29 effect upon even the most truculent, the Count being quickly subdued when he saw his sword-play had but little effect on the chain. The Countess graciously acknowledged that events had indeed proved the wisdom of their course, and said it was not to be won- dered at that men should know the disposition of a turbulent man, better than an inexperienced woman could know it. And thus was the feud between Gudenfels and Schon- burg happily ended, and Count Herbert came from the Crusades to find two castles waiting for him in- stead of one as he had expected, with what he had reason to prize above everything else, a wife as well. \\ '.i i , ^r i'l ' CHAPTER II THE REVENGE OF THE OUTLAW The position of Count Herbert when, at the age of thirty-one he took up his residence in the ancient castle of his line, was a most enviable one. His marriage with Beatrix, Countess v on Falkenstein, had added the lustre of a ruling family to the prestige of his own, and the re- nown of his valour in the East had lost nothing in transit from the shores of the Mediterranean to the banks of the Rhine. The Counts of Schonburg had ever been the most conservative in counsel and the most radical in the fray, and thus Herbert on returning, found him- self, without seeking the honour, regarded by common consent as leader of the nobility whose castles bordered the renowned river. The Emperor, as was usually the case when these imperial figure-heads were elected by the three archbishops and their four colleagues, was a nonentity, who made no attempt to govern a turbulent land that so many were willing to govern for him. His majesty left sword and sceptre to those who cared for such baubles, and employed himself in banding to- gether the most notable company of mei.stersingcrs that Germany had ever listened to. But although harmony reigned in Frankfort, the capital, there was much lack of it along the Rhine, and the man with the swiftest and heaviest sword, usually accumulated the greatest amount of property, movable and othenvise. Among the truculent nobles who terrorised the 30 THE REVENGE OF THE OUTLAW 31 country side, none was held in greater awe than Baron von Wicthoff, whose Schloss occupied a promontory some distance up the stream from Castle Schonburg, on the same side of the river. Public opinion condemned the Baron, not because he exacted tribute from the merchants who sailed down the Rhine, for such col- lections were universally regarded as a legitimate source of revenue, out because he was in the habit of killing the goose that laid the goMen egg, which action was looked upon with disfavour by the se who resided be- tween Schloss Wiethoff and Cologne, as interfering with their right to exist, for a merchant, although well- plucked, is still of advantage to those in whose hands he falls, if life and some of his goods are left to him. Whereas, when cleft from scalp to midriff by the Baron's ^ong swoid, he became of no value either to himself or to others. While many nobles were satisfied with levy- ing a scant five or ten per cent on a voyager's belong- ings, the Barcn rarely rested contented until he had acquired the full hundred, and, the merchant object- ing, von Wiethoff would usually order him hanged or decapitated, although at times when he was in good humour he was wont to confer honour upon the trading classes by despatching the grumbling seller of goods with his own weapon, which created less joy in the commercial community than the Baron seemed to ex- pect. Thus navigation on the swift current of the Rhine began to languish, for there was little profit in the transit of goods from Mayence to Cologne if the whole consignment tood in jeopardy and the owner's life as well, so the merchants got into the habit of carry- ing their gear overland on the backs of mules, thus put- ting the nobility to great inconvenience in scouring the forests, endeavouring to intercept the caravans. The t ■1, \i IV: 32 THE STRONG ARM ' 1: ti nobility, with that stern sense of justice which hasevef characterised the higher classes, placed the blame of this diversion of traffic from its natural channel, not upon the merchants but upon the Baron, where un- doubtedly it rightly belonged, and although, when they came upon an overland company which was seeking to avoid them, they gathered in an extra percentage of the goods to repay in a measure the greater difficulty they had in their woodland search, they always informed the merchants with much politeness, that, when river traffic was resumed, they would be pleased to revert to the original exaction, which the traders, not without reason pointed out was of little avail to them as long as Baron von Wiethoff was permitted to confiscate the whole. In their endeavours to resuscitate the navigation interests of the Rhine, several expeditions had been formed against the Baron, but his castle was strong, and there were so many conflicting interests among those who attacked him that he had always come out victorious, and after each onslaught the merchants suffered more severely than before. Affairs were in this unsatisfactory condition when Count Herbert of Schonburg returned from the Holy Land, the fame of his deeds upon him, and married Beatrix of Gudenfels. Although the nobles of the Upper Rhine held aloof from all contest with the savage Baron of Schloss Wiethoff, his exactions not interfering with their incomes, many of those further down the river offered their services to Count Herbert, if he would consent to lead them against the Baron, but the Count pleaded that he was still a stranger in his own country, having so recently returned from his ten con- tentious years in Syria, therefore he begged time to I I " ■■m.;« » •>■■?■•.■. » THE REVENGE OF THE OUTLAW 33 study the novel conditions confronting him before giving an answer to their proposal. The Count learned that the previous attacks made upon Schloss Wiethoff had been conducted with but iiidifferent generalship, and that failure liad been richly earned by desertions from the attacking force, each noble thinking himself justified in withdrawing himself and his men, when offended, or when the conduct of affairs displeased him, so von Schonburg informed the second deputation which waited on him, that he was more accustomed to depend on himself than on the aid of others, and that if any quarrel arose between Castle Schonburg and Schloss Wiethoff, the Count would en- deavour to settle the dispute with his ov/n sword, which ri'ply greatly encouraged the Baron when he heard of it, for he wished to try conclusions with the newcomer, and made no secret of his disbelief in the lattcr's Sara- cenic exploits, saying the Count had returned when there was none left of the band he took with him, and had, therefore, with much wisdom, left himself free from contradiction. There was some disappointment up and down the Rhine when time passed and the Count made no war- like move. It was well known that the Countess was much averse 10 war, notwithstanding the fact that she was indebted to war for her stalwart husband, and her peaceful nature was held to excuse the non-combative life lived by the Count, althouMi there were others who gave it as their opinion that the Count was really afraid of the ^>aron, who daily became more and more obnox- ious as there seemed to be less and less to fear. Such boldness did the I^aron achieve that he even organised a slight raid upon the estate of Gudenfels which be- longed to the Count's wife, but still Herbert of Schon- 'H. 34 THE STRONG ARM burg did not venture from the security of his castle, greatly to the disappointment and the disgust of his neighbours, for there are on earth no people who love a fight more dearly than do those who reside along the banks of the placid Rhine. At last an heir was born to Castle Schonburg, and the rejoicings throughout all the district governed by the Count were general and enthusiastic. Bonfires were lit on the heights and the noble river glowed red under the illumination at night. The boy who had arrived at the castle was said to give promise of having all the beauty of his mother and all the strength of his father, which was admitted by everybody to be a desirable combination, although some shook their heads and said they hoped that with strength there v/ould come greater courage than the Count appeared to possess. Never- theless, the Count had still some who believed in him, notwithstanding his long period of inaction, and these said that on the night the boy was born, and word was brought to him in the great hall that mother and child were well, the cloud that had its habitual resting-place on the Count's brow lifted and his lordship took down from its place his great broadsword, rubbed from its blade the dust and the rust that had collected, swung the huge weapon hissing through the air, and heaved a deep sigh, as one who had come to the end of a period of restraint. The boy was just one month old on the night that there was a thunderous knocking at the gate of Schloss Wicthoff. The Baron hastily buckled on his armour and was soon at the head of his men eager to repel the in- vader. In a marvellously short space of time there was a contest in progress at the gates which would have de- lighted the heart of the most quarrelsome noble from Mayence to Cologne. The attacking party which ap- i THE REVENGE OF THE OUTLAW 35 peared in large force before the gate, attempted to batter in the oal I Hundsruck, but as the years went on, the Outlaw ac- quired such knowledge of the interminable mazes of this wilderness, that it is doubtful whether all the troops in the Empire could have brought his band to bay. The outlaws always fled before a superior force, and always massacred an inferior one, and like the lightning, no man could predict where the next stroke would fall. On one occasion he even threatened the walled town of Coblentz, and the citizens compounded with him, say- ing they had no quarrel with any but the surrounding nobles, which expression the thrifty burghers regretted when Count Herbert marched his men through their streets and for every coin they had paid the Outlaw, exacted ten. The boy of Castle Schonburg was three years old, when he was allowed to play on the battlements, sport- ing with a wooden sword and imagining himself as great a warrior as his father had ever been. He was a brave little fellow whom nothing could frighten but the stories his nurse told him of the gnomes and goblins who infested the Rhine, and he longed for the time when he would be a man and wear a real sword. One day just before he had completed his fourth year, a man came slinking out of the forest to the foot of the wall, for the watch was now slack as the Outlaw had not been heard of for months, and then was far away in the direction of Mayence. The nurse was holding a most absorbing conversation with the man-at-arms, who should, instead, have been pacing up and down the terrace while she should have been watching her charge. The man outside gave a low whistle which attracted the attention of the child and then beckoned him to come further along the wall until he had passed the west tower. THE REVENGE OF THE OUTLAW 30 "Well, little coward," said the man, " I did not think you would have the courage to come so far away from the women." " I am not a coward," answered the lad, stoutly, " and I do not care about the women at lilV " Your father was a coward." " He is not. He is the bravest man in the world." " He did not dare to jump off the wall after the Baron." " He will cut the Baron in pieces if he ever comes near our castle." " Yet he dared not jump as the Baron did." " The Baron was afraid of my father ; that's why he jumped." " Not so. It was your father who feared to follow him, though he had a sword and the Baron had none. You are all cowards in Castle Schonburg. I don't be- lieve you have the courage to jump even though I held out my arms to catch you, but if you do I will give you the sword I wear." The little boy had climbed on the parapet, and now stood hovering on the brink of the precipice, his childish heart palpitating through fear of the chasm before him> yet beneath its beatings was an insistent command to prove his impugned courage. For some moments there was deep silence, the man below gazing aloft and hold- ing up his hands. At last he lowered his outstretched arms and said in a sneering tone : " Good-bye, craven son of a craven race. You dare not jump." The lad, with a cry of despair, precipitated himself into the empty air and came fluttering down like a wounded bird, to fall insensible into the arms that for the moment saved him from death or mutilation. An i 1 I I I The Count roused himself Hke a lion who had been disturbed, and cried in a voice that resounded hoarsely from the rafters of the arched roof, startling the Count- ess with the unaccustomed fierceness of its tone : " Yes, I will think of him — of my only son in the clutch of his bitter foe, and I thank you for reminding me of him, little as I have for these long years needed spur to my remembrance. Bring in the prisoner." When Wilhelm was brought in, heavy manacles on his wrists, walking between the men who guarded him, Elsa looked from judge to culprit, and her heart leaped with joy. Surely such blindness could not strike this whole concourse that some one within that hall would not sec that, here confronted, stood father and son, on the face of one a frown of anger, on the face of the other a frown of defiance, expressions almost identi- cal, the only difference being the thirty years that divided their ages. For a few moments the young man did not distinguish Elsa in the throng, then a glad cry of recognition escaped him, and the cloud cleared from his face as if a burst of sunshine had penetrated the sombre-coloured windows and had thrown its illumi- nating halo around his head. He spoke impetuously, leaning forward : *' Elsa, Elsa, how came you here ? " then, a shadow of concern crossing his countenance, " you are not a prisoner, I trust ? " " No, no, Wilhelm, I am here to beseech the clemency of the Count " " Not for me ! " exclaimed the prisoner, defiantly, drawing himself up proudly : " not for me, Elsa. You must never ask favour from a robber and a coward like Count von Schonburg, brave only in his own Judgment Hall." .1 ii i ■ttfT 'il ! 'ii' i' I: I 56 THE STRONG ARM " Oh, Wilhelm, Wilhelm, have a care what you say, or you will break my heart. And your proclamation is far from true. The Count is a brave man who has time and again proved himself so, and my only hope is that he will prove as merciful as he is undoubtedly cour- ageous. Join your prayers with mine, Wilhelm, and beg for mercy rather than justice." •* I beg from no man, either mercy or justice. I am here, my Lord Count, ready to receive whatever you care to bestow, and I ask you to make the waiting brief for the sake of the women present, for I am sure the beautiful, white-haired lady there dislikes this traffic in men's lives as much as does my fair-haired cousin." " Oh, my lord Count, do not heed what he says ; his words but show the recklessness of youth; hold them not against him." " Indeed I mean each word I say, and had I iron in my hand instead of round my wrists, his Lordship would not sit so calmly facing me." Elsa, seeing how little she had accomplished with either man began to weep h?lplessly, and the Count, who had not interrupted the colloquy, listening un- moved to the contumely heaped upon him by the prisoner, now said to the girl : " Have you finished your questioning? " Receiving no answer, he said to the prisoner after a pause : "Why did you move against this castle ? " " Because I hoped to take it, burn it, and hang or behead its owner." " Oh, Wilhelm, Wilhelm ! " wailed the girl. " And, having failed, what do you expect? " " To be hanged, or behQaded, depending on whether t ^ THE REVENGE OF THE OUTLAW 57 your Lordship is the more expert with a cord or with an axe." " You called me a coward, and I might have retorted that in doing so you took advantage of your position as prisoner, but setting that aside, and speaking as man to man, \\ *iat ground have you for such an accusation ? " *' We cannot speak as man to man, for I am bound and you are free, but touching the question of your cowardice, I have heard it said by those who took part in the defence of my father's castle, when you attacked it and destroyed it, commanding a vastly superior force, my father leaped from the wall and dared you to follow him. For a moment, they told me, it seemed that you would accept the challenge, but you contented your- self with calling on others to do what you feared to do yourself, and thus my father, meeting no opposition from a man of his own rank, was compelled to destroy the unfortunate serfs who stood in his way and so cut out a path to safety. In refusing to accept the plunge he took, you branded yourself a coward, and once a coward always a coward." " Oh, Wilhelm," cried Elsa, in deep distress at the young man's lack of diplomacy, while she could not but admire his ill-timed boldness, " speak not so to the Count, for I am sure what you say is not true." " Indeed," growled Captain Conrad, ** the young villain is more crafty than we gave him credit for. In- stead of a rope he will have a challenge from the Count, and so die honourably like a i.ian, in place of being strangled like the dog he is." ** Dear Wilhelm, for my sake, do not persist in this course, but throw yourself on the mercy of the Count. Why retail here the irresponsible gossip of a camp, '• " No, my Lord. I thought that a hint of the truth beinf:j given, Nature would come to the assistance of mutual recognition. Such has been the case between my lady and her son, but I see that you are still unconvinced." " For my sins, I know something of the wickedness of this world, a knowledge from which her purity has protected the Countess. You believe that Wilhelm is my son? " " I have never said so, my Lord." " What you did say was that you had taken an oath. You are too young and doubtless too innocent to be a party to any plot, but you may have been the tool of an unscrupulous man, who knew the oath would be broken when the strain of a strong affection was brought to bear upon it." " Yet, my Lord, I kept my oath, although I saw my — my " The girl hesitated and blushed, but finally spoke up bravely : " I saw my lover led to his destruction. If Wilhelm is my cousin, then did his father take a desperate chance in trusting first to my escape from the camp, and second to my perjury. You endow him with more than human foresight, my Lord." ** He builded on your love lor Wilhelm, which he had seen growing under his eye before either you or the lad had suspicion of its existence. I know the man, and he is a match for Satan, his master." " But Satan has been discomfited ere now by the angels of light, and even by holy men, if legend tells truly. I have little knowledge of the world, as you i I .1 4 A CITY OF FEAR 65 have said, but the case appears to mc one of the simplest. If my uncle wished the bitterest revenge on you, what could be more terrible than cause you to be the executioner of your own son ? The vengeance, however, to be complete, depends on his being able to place before you incontrovertible proof that you were the father of the victim. Send, therefore, a messenger to him, one from Gudenfels, who knows nothing of what has happened in this castle of Schonburg, and who is therefore unable to disclose, even if forced to confess, that Wilhelm is alive. Let the messenger inform my uncle that his son is no more, which is true enough, and then await the Outlaw's reply. And meanwhile let me venture to warn you, my Lord, that it would be well to conceal your disbelief from Wil- helm, for he is high-spirited, and if he gets but an inkling that you distrust him, he will depart ; for not all your possessions will hold your son if he once learns that you doubt him, so you are like to find yourself childless again, if your present mood masters you much longer." The Count drew a deep sigh, then roused himself and seemed to shake off the influence that *^nchained him. " Thank you, my girl," he cried, with something of the old ring in his voice, " I shall do as you advise, and if thi" embassy results as you say, you will ever find your staunchest friend in me." He held out his hand to Elsa, and departed to his other castle of Gudenfels on the opposite side of the Rhine. From thence he sent a messenger who had no knowledge of what was happening in Schonburg. When at last the messenger returned from the Out- law's camp, he brought with him a wailing woman and 5 iN.i, w m\\ 66 THE STRONG ARM !; ii .'' I I ! grim tidings that he feared to deliver. Thrice his lordship demanded his account, the last time with such sternness that the messenger quailed before him. " My Lord," he stammered at last, " a frightful thing has taken place — would that I had died before it was told to me. The young man your lordship hanged was no other than " " Well, why do you pause ? You were going to say he was my own son. What proof docs the Outlaw offer that such was indeed the case ? " " Alas ! my Lord, the proof seems clear enough. Here with me is young Lord Wilhelm's nurse, whose first neglect led to his abduction, and who fled to the forest after him, and was never found. She followed him to the Outlaw's camp, and was there kept prisoner by him until slie was at last given charge of the lad, under oath that she would teach him to forget who he was, the fierce Outlaw threatening death to both woman and child were his orders disobeyed. She has come willingly with me hoping to suffer death now that one she loved more than son has died through her first fault." Then to the amazement of the pallid messenger the Count laughed aloud ard called for Wilhelm, who, when he was brought, clasped the trembling old wo- man in his arms, overjoyed to see her again and eager to learn news of the camp. How was the stout Gott- lieb ? Had the messenger seen Captain Heinrich ? and so on. " Indeed, my young Lord," answered the overjoyed woman " there was such turmoil in the camp that I was glad to be quit of it with unbroken bones. When the Outlaw proclaimed that you were hanged, there 3 A CITY OF FEAR 67 was instant rebellion among his followers, who thought that your capture was merely a trick to be speedily amended, being intended to form a laughing matter to your discomfiture when you returned. They swore they would have torn down Schonburg with their bare hands rather than have left you in jeopardy, had they known their retreat imperilled your life." " The brieve lads ! " cried the young man in a glow of enthusiasm, *' and here have I been maligning them '"or cowards ! What was the outcome ? " " That I do not know, my Lord, being glad to escape from the ruffians with unfractured head." The result of the embassy was speedily apparent at Schonburg. Two days later, in the early morning, the custodians at the gate were startled by the shrill Out- law yell, which had on so many occasions carried ter- ror with it into the hearts of Rhine strongholds. " Come out, Hangman of Schonburg ! " they shouted, "come out, murderer of a defenceless prisoner. Come out, before we drag you forth, for the rope is waiting for your neck and the gallows tree is waiting for the rope." Count Herbert was first on the battlements, and curtly he commanded his men not to launch bolt at the invaders, knowing the outlaws mistakenly supposed him to be the executioner of their former comrade. A moment later young Wilhelm himself appeared on the wall above the gate, and, lifting his arms above his head raised a great shout of joy at seeing there col- lected his old companions, calling this one or that by name as he recognised them among the seething, excited throng. There was an instant's cessation of the clamour, then the outlaws sent forth a cheer that echoed from all the hills around. They brandished i (J it 1" 'ji lili i ;i I 68 THE STRONG ARM their weapons aloft, and cheered again and again, the garrison of the castle, now bristling along the battle- ments, joining in the tumult with strident voices. Gott- lieb advanced some distance toward the gate, and holding up his hand for silence addressed Wilhelm. " Young master," he cried, " we have deposed von Weithoff, and would have hanged him, but that he es- caped during the night, fled to Mayence and besought protection of the Archbishop. If you will be our leader we will sack Mayence and hang the Archbishop from his own cathedral tower." " That can I hardly do, Gottlieb, as a messenger has been sent to the Archbishop asking him to come to Schonburg and many Elsa to me. He might take our invasion as an unfriendly act and refuse to perform the ceremony." Gottlieb scratched his head as one in perplexity, see- ing before him a question of etiquette that he found difficult to solve. At last he said : " What need of Archbishop ? You and Elsa have been brought up among us, therefore confer honour on our free company by being married by our own Monk who has tied many a knot tight enough to hold the most wayward of our band. The aisles of the mighty oaks are more grand than the cathedral at Mayence or the great hall of Schonburg." " Indeed I am agreed, if Elsa is willing. We will be married first in the forest and then by the Archbishop in the great hall of Schonburg." " In such case there will be delay, for now that I be- think me, his Lordship of Mayence has taken himself to Frankfort, where he is to meet the Archbishops of Treves and Cologne who will presently journey to the capital. We were thinking of falling upon his rever- A CITY OF FEAR 69 cnce of Cologne as he passed up the river, unless he comes with an escort too numerous for us, which, alas ! is most likely, so suspicious has the world grown." ** You will be wise not to meddle with the princes of the Church, be their escorts large or small." " Then, Master Wilhelm, be our leader, for we are likely to get into trouble unless a man of cpality is at our head." Wilhelm breathed a deep sigh and glanced sideways at his father, who stood some distance off, leaning on his two-handed sword, a silent spectator of the meeting. ''The free life of the forest is no more for me, Got- tlieb. My duty is here in the castle of my forefathers, much though I grieve to part with you." This decision seemed to have a depressing effect on the outlaws within hearing. Gottlieb retired, and the band consulted together for a time, then their spokes- man again advanced. ** Some while since," he began in dolorous tone, "we appealed to the Emperor to pardon us, promising in such case to quit our life of outlawry and take honest service with those nobles who needed stout blades, but his Majesty sent reply that if w^e came un- armed to the capital and tendered submission, he would be graciously pleased to hang a round dozen of us to be selected by him, scourge the rest through the streets of Frankfort and so bestow his clemency on such as survived. This imperial tender we did not accept, as there was some uncertainty regarding whose neck should feel the rope and whose back the scourge. While all were willing to admit that more than a dozen of us sorely needed hanging, yet each man seemed loath to claim precedence over his neighbour in wicked- ness, and desired, in some sort, a voice in the selection II ti Hi i I il '< iig 'ml I ' ■" ! I ] j 1 \l J ! Il I t : 70 THE STRONG ARM of the victims. But if you will accept our following, Master VVilhelm, we will repair at once to Frankfort and make submission to his Majesty the Emperor. The remnant being well scourged, will then return to Schon- burg to place themselves under your command." "Are you willing then to bang for me, Gottlieb?" " I hanker not after the hanging, but if hang we must, there is no man I would rather hang for than Wilhelm, formerly of the forest, but now, alas ! of Schonburg. And so say they all without dissent, therefore the unanimity must needs include the eleven other danglers." "Then draw nigh, all of you, to the walls and hear my decision." Gottlieb waving his arms, hailed the outlaws troop- ing to the walls, and, his upraised hand bringing silence, Wilhelm spoke : '* Such sacrifice as you propose, I cannot accept, yet I dearly wish to lead a band of men like you. Elsa and I shall be married by our ancient woodland father in the forest and then by the Abbot of St. Werner in the hall of Schonburg. We will make our wedding journey to Frankfort, and you shall be our escort and our protectors." There was for some moments such cheering at this that the young man was compelled to pause in his ad- dress, and then as the outcry was again and again re- newed, he looked about for the cause and saw that Elsa and his mother had taken places on the balcony which overlooked the animated scene. The beautiful girl had been recognised by the rebels and she waved her hand in response to their shouting. "We will part company," resumed Wilhelm, " as near Frankfort as it is safe for you to go, and my wife A CITY OF FEAR ft P" << and I, accompanied by a score of men from this castle, will enter the capital. I will beg your complete par- don from his Majesty and if at first it is refused, I think Elsa will have better success with the Empress, who may incline her imperial husband toward clemency. All this I promise, providing I receive the consent and support of my father, and I am not likely to be refused, for he already knows the persuasive power of my dear betrothed when she pleads for mercy." *' My consent and support I most willingly bestow," said the Count, with a fervour that left no doubt of his sincerity. The double marriage was duly solemnised, and Wilhclm, with his newly-made wife, completed their journey to Frankfort, escorted until almost within sight of the capital by five hundred and twenty men, but they entered the gates of the city accompanied by only the score of Schonburg men, the remaining five hundred concealing themselves in the rough country, as they well knew how to do. Neither Wilhelm nor Elsa had ever seen a large city before, and silence fell upon them as they approached the western gate, for they were coming upon a world strange to them, and Wilhelm felt an unaccustomed elation :jtir within his breast, as if he were on the edge of some adventure that might have an important bear- ing on his future. Instead of passing peaceably through the gate as he had expected, the cavalcade was halted after the two had ridden under the gloomy stone archway, and the portcullis was dropped with a sudden clang, shutting out the twenty riders who fol- lowed. One of several officers who sat on a stone bench that fronted the guard-house within the walls, rose and came forward. (M ]i\ It r 72 THE STRONG ARM I 1 1 I )i iJi i I. li I "What is your name and quality?" he demanded, gruffly. " I am VVilhehn, son of Count von Schonberg." " What is your business here in Frankfort ? " " My business relates to the emperor, and is not to be delivered to the first underling who has the impu- dence to make inquiry," replied Wilhelm in a haughty tone, which could scarcely be regarded, in the circum- stances, as diplomatic. Nevertheless, the answer did not seem to be resented, but rather appeared to have a subduing effect on the ({uestioner, who turned, as if for further instruction, to another officer, evidently his superior in rank. The latter now rose, came forward, doffing his cap, and said : *' I understand your answer better than he to whom it was given, my Lord." " I am glad there is one m>an of sense at a gate of the capital," said Wilhelm, with no relaxation of his dignity, but nevertheless bewildered at the turn the talk had taken, seeing there was something underneath all this which he did not comprehend, yet resolved to carry matters with a high hand until greater clearness came to the situation. " Will you order the portcullis raised and permit my men to follow me ? " " They are but temporarily detained until we decide where to quarter them, my Lord. You know," he added, lowering his voice, " the necessity for caution. Are you for the Archbishop of Treves, of Cologne, or of Mayence? " " I am from the district of Mayence, of course." " And are you for the archbishop ? " " For the archbishop certainly. He would have I ■V - 'i lit !l A CITY OF FEAR 73 honoured me by performing our marriage ceremony had he not been called by important affairs of state to the capital, as you may easily learn by asking him, now that he is witliin these walls." The oft :er bowed low with great obsequiousness and said : ** Your reply is more than sufHcient, my Lord, and I trust you will parrlon t1i<- delay we have caused you. The men of Maycncc are quartered in the Leinwand- haus, where room will doubtless be made for your fol- lowers. " It is not necessary for me to draw upon the hos- pitality of the good Archbishop, as I lodge in my father's town house near the palace, and there is room within for the small escort I bring." Again the officer bowed to the ground, and the port- cullis being by this time raised, the twenty horsemen came clattering under the archway, and thus, without further molestation, they arrived at the house of the Count von Schonburg. " Elsa," said Wilhelm, when they were alone in their room, " there is something wrong in this city. Men look with fear one upon another, and pass on hurriedly, as if to avoid question. Others stand in groups at the street corners and speak in whispers, glancing furtively over their shoulders." " Perhaps that is the custom in cities," replied Elsa. " I doubt it. I have heard that townsmen are eaf::er for traffic, inviting all comers to buy, but here most of the shops are barred, and no customers are solicited. They seem to me like people under a cloud of fear. What can it be ? " " We are more used to the forest path than to city streets, Wilhelm. They will all become familiar to us :• I II 11 ilr t ■ 1 I , i] n i ! , , Hi i! :i'' i!, ,_ 1111 If .|!!|> II' 74 THE STRONG ARM in a day or two, yet I feel as if I could not get a full breath in these narrow streets, and I long for the trees already, but perhaps content will come with waiting." " 'Tis deeper than that. There is something omi- nous in the air. Noted you not the questioning at the gate and its purport ? They asked me if I favoured Treves, or Cologne, or Mayencc, but none inquired if I stood loyal to the Emperor, yet I was entering his capital city of Frankfort." " Perhaps you will learn all from the Emperor when you see him," ventured Elsa. " Perhaps," said Wilhelm. The chamberlain of the von Schonburg household, who had supervised the arrangements for the reception of the young couple, waited upon his master in the evening and informed him that the Emperor would not be visible for some days to come. " He has gone intc retreat, in the cloisters attached to the cathedral, and it is the imperial will that none disturb him on worldly affairs. Each day at the hour when the court assembles at the palace, the I^mperor hears exhortation from the pious fathers in the Wahl- kapelle of the cathedral; the chapel in which emperors are elected; these exhortations pctaining to the ruling of the land, which his majesty desires to govern justly and well. •' An excellent intention," commented the young man, with suspicion! of impatience in his tone, " but meanwhile, how are the temporal affairs of the country conducted ? " " The Empress Brunhilda is for the moment the actual head of the state. Whatever act of the ministers receives her approval, is sent by a monk to the Emperor, who signs any documen*: so submitted to him." Bm4! A CITY OF FEAR n " Were her majesty an ambitious woman, such trans- ference of power mii.;ht prove dangerous." " She is an ambitious woman, but devoted to her husband, who, it perhaps may be wiiispered, is more monk than king," replied the chamberlain under his breath. " Her majesty has heard of your lordship's romantic adventures and has been graciously pleased to command that you and Lcr ladyship, your wife, be presented to her to-morrow in presence of the court." " This is a command which it will be a delight to obey. But tell me, what is wrong in this great town ? There is a sinister feeling in the air ; uneasiness is abroad, or I am no judge of my fellow-creatures." *' Indeed, my Lord, you have most accurately de- scribed the situation. No man knows what is about to happen. The gathering of the Electors is regarded with the gravest apprehension. The Archbishop of Mayence, who but a short time since crowned the Emperor at the great altar of the cathedral, is herewith a thousand men at his back. The Count Palatine of the Rhine is also within these walls with a lesser en- tourage. It is rumoured that his haughty lordship, the Archbishop of Treves, will reach Frankfort to-morrow, to be speedily followed by that eminent Prince of the Church, the Archbishop of Cologne. Thus there will be gathered in che capital four Electors, a majority of the college, a conjunction that has not occurred for centuries, except on the death of an emperor, neces- sitating the nomination and election of his successor." " But as the Emperor lives and there is no need of choosing another, wherein lies \\\^. danger?" " The danger lies in the fact that the college has the power to depose as well as to elect." •' Ah ! And do the Electors threaten to depose ? " 76 THE STRONG ARM " No. Treves is much too crafty for any straight- forward statement of poHcy. He is the brains of the combination, and has put forward ?Jaycnce and the Count Palatine as the moving spirits, although it is well known that the former is but his tool and the lat- ter is moved by ambition to have his imbecile son selected emperor." *' Even if the worst befall, it seems but the substitu- tion of a weak-minded man for one who neglects the affairs of state, although I should think the princes of the Church would prefer a monarch who is so much under the influence of th'i monks." " The trouble is deeper than my imperfect sketch of the situation would lead you to suppose, my Lord. The Emperor periodically emerges from his retirement, promulgates some s rtling decree, unheeding the counsel of any adviser, then disappears again, no man knowing what is coming next. Of such a nature was his recent edict prohibiting the harrying of merchants going down the Rhine and the Moselle, which, how- ever just in theory, is impracticable, for how are the nobles to reap revenue if such practices are made un- lawful ? This edict has offended all the magnates of both rivers, and the archbishops, with the Count Palatine, claim that their prerogatives have been in- fringed, so they come to Frankfort ostensibly to pro- test, while the Emperor in his cloister refuses to meet them. The other tl.ree Electors hold aloof, as the edict touches them not, but they form a minority which is powerless, even if friendly to the Emperor. Meanwhile his majesty cannot be aroused to an ap- preciation of the crisis, but says calmly that if it is the Lord's will he remain emperor, emp^jor he will remain." >A. A CITY OF FEAR 77 •• Then at its limit, chamberlain, all we have to ex- pect is a peaceful deposition and election ? " " Not so, my lord. The merchants of Frankfort are fervently \oyi\ to the Emperor, who, they say, is the first monarch to give forth a just law for their protec- tion. At present the subtlety of Treves has nullified all combined action on their part, for he has given out that he comes merely to petition his over-lord, which privilege is well within his right, and many citizens actually believe him, but others see that a majority of the college will be within these walls before many days are past, and that the present Emperor may be legally deposed and another legally chosen. Then if the citizens object, they are rebels, while at this moment if they fight for the Emperor they are patriots ; so you see the position is not without its perplexities, for the citizens well know that if they were to man the walls and keep out Treves and Cologne, the Emperor himself would most likely disclaim their interference, trusting as he does so entirely in Providence that a short time since he actually disbanded the imperial troops, much to the delight of the archbishops, who warmly commended his action. And now, my Lord, if I may venture to ten'^er advice unasked, I would strongly counsel you to quit Frankfort as soon as your business here is concluded, for I am certain that a change of government is intended. All will be done promptly, and the transaction will be consummated before the people are aware that such a step is about to be taken. The Electors will meet in the Wahlzim- nier or election room of the Romer and depose the Emperor, then they will instantly select his successor, adjourn to the Wahlkapelle and elect him. The Palatine's son is here with his father, and will be I \\\ i|!l 'IB IPTH ;8 THE STRONG ARM i^: M- I <: I I :l I . ,| I crowned at the high altar by the Archbishop of May- ence. Tlie new Emperor will dine with the Electors in the Kaisersaal and immediately after show himself on the balcony to the people assembled in the Romerberg below. Proclamation of his election will then be made, and all this need not occupy more than two hours. The Archbishop of Mayence already controls the city gates, which since the disbanding of the imperial troops have been unguarded, and none can get in or out of the city without that potentate's permission. The men of Mayence are quartered in the centre of the town, the Count Palatine's troops arc near the gate. Treves and Cologne will doubtless command other positions, and thus between them they will control the city. Numerous as the merchants and their depend- ents are, they will have no chance against the disci- plined force of the Electors, and the streets of Frank- fort are like to run with blood, for the nobles are but too eager to see a sharp check given to the rising pre- tensions of the mercantile classes, who having hereto- fore led peaceful lives, will come out badly in combat, despite their numbers; therefore I beg of you, my Lord, to withdraw with her Ladyship before this hell's caldron is uncovered." '* Your advice is good, chamberlain, in so far as it concerns my wife, and I will beg of her to retire to Schonburg, although I doubt if she will obey, but, by the bones of Saint Werner which floated against the current of the Rhine in this direction, if there must be a fray, I will be in the thick of it." " Remember, my Lord, that your house has always stood by the Archbishop of Mayence." "It has stood by the Emperor as well, chamber- lain." A CITY OF FEAR 79 The Lady Elsa was amazed by the magnificence of the Emperor's court, when, accompanied by her hus- band, she walked the length of the great room to make obeisance before the throne. At first entrance she shrank timidly, closer to the side of Wilhelm, trembling at the ordeal of passing, simply costumed as she now felt herself to be, between two assemblages of haughty knights and high-born dames, resplendent in dress, with the proud bearing that pertained to their position in the Empire. Her breath came and went quickly, and she feared that all courage would desert hrr before she traversed the seemingly endless lane, flanked by the nobility of Germany, which led to the royal presence. Wilhelm, unabashed, holding himself the equal of any there, was not to be cowed by pa- tronising glance, or scornful gaze. The thought flashed through his mind : " How can the throne fall, surrounded as it is by so many supporters ? " But when the approaching two saw the Empress, all remembrance of others faded from their minds. Brun- hilda was a woman of superb stature. She stood alone upon the dais which supported the vacant throne, one hand resting upon its carven arm. A cloak of imperial ermine fell gracefully from her shapely shoulders and her slightly-elevated position on the platform added height to her goddess-like tallness, giving her the ap- pearance of towering above every other person in the room, man or woman. The excessive pallor of her complexion was emphasised by the raven blackness of her wealth of hair, and the sombre midnight of her eyes ; eyes with slumbering fire in them, qualified by a haunted look which veiled their burning intensity. Her brow was too broad and her chin too firm for a h i ■ t f 80 THE STRONG ARM ■III painter's 'deal of beauty ; her commanding presence giving the effect of majesty rather than of loveHness. Deep lines of care marred the marble of her forehead, and Wilhehn said to himself : •' Here is a woman going to her doom ; knowing it ; yet determined to show no sign of fear and utter no cry for mercy." Every other woman there had eyes of varying shades of blue and gray, and hair ranging from brown to golden yellow ; thus the Empress st od before tliem like a creature from another world. Elsa was about to sink in lowly courtesy before the queenly woman when the Empress came forward im- petuously and kissed the girl on either cheek, taking her by the hand. " Oh, wild bird of the forest," she cried, "why have you left the pure air of the woods, to beat your inno- cent wings in this atmosphere of deceit! And you, my young Lord, what brings you to h^'ankfort in these troublous times? Have you an insufficiency of lands or of honours that you come to ask augmentation of either? " ** I come to ask nothing for myself, your Majesty." '* But to ask, nevertheless," said Brunhilda, with a frown. ** Yes, your Majesty." " I hope I may live to see one man, like a knight of old, approach the foot of the throne without a request on his lips. I thought you might prove an exception, but as it is not so, propound your question ?" " I came to ask if my sword, supplemented by the weapons of five hundred followers, can be of service to your Majesty." The Compress sqemed taken aback by the young man's 4 A CITY OF FEAR 8f unexpected reply, and for some moments she gazed at him searchingly in silence. At last she said : " Your followers are the men of Schonburg and Gudenfels, doubtless?" " No, your Majesty. Those you mention, acknowl- edge my father as their leader. My men were known as the Outlaws of the Hundsruck, who have deposed von Weithoff, chosen me as their chief, and now de- sire to lead honest lives." The dark eyes of the Empress blazed again. " I see, my Lord, that you have quickly learned the courtier's language. Under proffer of service you are really demanding pardon for a band of marauders." Wilhelm met unflinchingly the angry look of this imperious woman, and was so little a courtier that he allowed a frown tO add sternness to his brow. "Your Majc' uts it harshly," he said, ** I merely petition for a okc of the pen which will add half a thousand loyal men to the ranks of the Emperor's sup- porters." Brunhilda pondered on this, then suddenly seemed t(- rive at a decision. Calling one of the ministers o, state to her side, she said, peremptorily : "Prepare a pardon for the Outlaws of the Hunds- ruck. Send the document at once to the Emperor fot signature, and then bring it to me in the Red Room." The minister replied with some hesitation : "I should have each man's name to inscribe on the roll, otherwise every scoundrel in the Empire will claim protection under the edict." " I can give you every man's name," put in Wilhelm, eagerly. " It is not necessary," said the Empress. n\ \l\ ,: 3-1 F 82 THE STRONG ARM " Your Majesty perhaps forgets," persisted the minister, " that pardon has already been proffered by the Emperor under certain conditions that commended themselves to his imperial wisdom, and that the clem- ency so graciously tendered was contemptuously re- fused." At this veiled opposition all the suspicion in Brun- hilda's nature turned from Wilhelm to the high official, and she spoke to him ii tiie tones of one accustomed to prompt obedience. " Prepare an unconditional pardon, and send it im- mediately to the Emperor without further comment, either to him or to me." The minister bowed low and retired. The Empress dismissed the court, detaining Elsa, and said to VVel- helm : " Seek us half an hour later in the Red Room. Your wife I shall take with me, that I may learn from her own lips the adventures which led to your recog- nition as the heir of Schonburg, something of which I have already heard. And as for your outlaws, send them word if you think they are impatient to lead virtuous lives, which I take leave to doubt, that be- fore another day passes they need fear no penalty for past misdeed, providing their future conduct escapes censure." " They are one and all eager to retrieve themselves in your Majesty's eyes ! " ** Promise not too much, my young Lord, for they may be called upon to perform sooner than they expect," said Brunhilda, with a significant glance at Wilhelm. The young man left the imperial presence, overjoyed to know that his mission had been successful. CHAPTER IV THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR WlLIIELM awaited with impatience the passing of the half hour the Empress had fixed as the period of his probation, for he was anxious to have the signed pardon for the outlaws actually in his hand, fearing the intrigues of the court might at the last moment bring about its withdrawal. When the time had elapsed he presented himself at the door of the Red Room and was admitted by the guard. He found the Empress alone, and she advanced toward him with a smile on her face, which banished the former hardness of expression. " Forgive me," she said, " my seeming discourtesy in the Great Hall. I am surrounded by spies, and doubtless Mayence already knows that your outlaws have been pardoned, but that will merely make him more easy about the safety of his cathedral town, es- ])ecially as he holds Baron von VVeithoff their former loader. I was anxious that it should also be reported to him that I had received you somewhat ungraciously. Your wife is to take up her abode in the palace, as she refuses to leave Frankfort if you remain here. She tells me the outlaws are brave men." " The bravest in the world, your Majesty." "And that they will follow you unquestioningly." " They would follow me to the gates of " He paused, and added as if in afterthought — *' to the gates of Heaven." 83 Mil 5! I!ii i'l i 84 THE STRONG ARM I 1' V' The lady smiled again. " From what I have heard of them," she said, " I feared their route lay in another direction, but I haves need of reckless men, and although I hand you thcif pardon freely, it is not without a hope that they will see fit to earn it." " Strong bodies and loyal souls, we belong to your Majesty. Command and we will obey, while life is left us." '* Do you know the present situation of the Imperial Crown, my Lord? " ** I understand it is in jeopardy through the act of the Electors, who, it is thought, will depose the Em- peror and elect a tool of their own. I am also aware that the Imperial troops have been disbanded, and that there will be four thousand armed and trained men belonging to the Electors within the walls of Frank- fort before many days are past." " Yes. What can five hundred do against four thou- sand?" " We could capture the gates and prevent the entry of Treves and Cologne." " I doubt that, for there are already two thousand troops obeying Mayence and the Count Palatine now in Frankfort. I fear we must meet strength by craft. The first step is to get your five hundred secretly into this city. The empty barracks stand against the city wall; if you quartered your score of Schonburg men there, they could easily assist your five hundred to scale the wall at night, and thus your force would be at hand concealed in t* barracks without knowledge of the archbishops. Treves and his men will be here to-morrow, before it would be possible for you to cap- ture the gates, even if such a design were practicable. THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 85 I am anxious above all things to avoid bloodshed, and any plan you have to propose must be drafted with that end in view." " I will ride to the place where my outlaws are en- camped on the Rhine, having first quartered the Schon- burg men in the barracks with instructions regarding our reception. If the tales which the spies tell the Archbishop of Maycnce concerning my arrival and re- ception at court lead his lordship to distrust me, he will command the guards at the gate not to re-admit me. By to-morrow morning, or the morning after at latest, I expect to occupy the barracks with five hun- dred and twenty men, making arrangement meanwhile for the quiet provisioning of the place. When I have consulted Gottlieb, who is as crafty as Satan himself, I shall have a plan to lay before your Majesty." Wilhelm took leave of the Empress, gave the neces- sary directions to the men he left behind him, and rode through the western gate unmolested ana unques- tioned. The outlaws hailed him that evening with acclamations that re-echoed from the hills which sur- rounded them, and their cheers redoubled when Wil- helm presented them with the parchment which made them once more free citizens of the Empire. That night they marched in five companies, each containing a hundred men, and the cat's task of climbing the waUs of Frankfort in the darkness before the dawn, merely gave a pleasant fillip to the long tramp. Day- light found them sound asleep, sprawling on the floors of the huge barracks. When Wilhelm explained the situation to Gottlieb the latter made light of the difificulty, as his master expected he would. " 'Tis the easiest thing in the world," he said. i iV IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 2.5 IM 2.0 1.8 1-4 11.6 P» V. # <^ /i /: dl v:

^'^^^ <>;>^x "<^r;\ ^^V^ ^t^^- ^^ r^^ 1 ii J 86 THE STRONG ARM " There are the Mayence men quartered in the Lein- wandhaus. The men of Treves are here, let us say, and the men of Cologne there. Very well, we divide our company into four parties, as there is also the Count Palatine to reckon with. We tie ropes round the houses containing these sleeping men, set fire to the buildings all at the same time, and, pouf ! burn the vermin where they lie. The hanging of the four Elec- tors after, will be merely a job for a dozen of our men, and need not occupy longer than while one counts five score." Wilhelm laughed. " Your plan has the merit of simplicity, Gottlieb, but it does not fall in with the scheme of the Empress, who is anxious that everything be accomplished legally and without bloodshed. But if we can burn them, we can capture them, imprisonment being probably more to the taste of the vermin, as you call them, than crema- tion, and equally satisfactory to us. Frankfort prison is empty, the Emperor having recently liberated all within it. The place will amply accommodate four thousand men. Treves has arrived to-day with much pomp, and Cologne will be here to-morrow. To-mor- row night the Electors hold their first meeting in the election chamber of the Romer. While they are de- liberating, do you think you and your five hundred could lay four thousand men by the heels and leave each bound and gagged in the city prison with good strong bolts shot in on them?" " Look on it as already done, my Lord. It is a task that requires speed, stealth and silence, rather than strength. The main point is to see that no alarm is prematurely given, and that no fugitive from one com- pany escape to give warning to the others. We fall THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 87 upon sleeping men, and if some haste is used, all are tied and gagged before they are full awake." ** Very well. Make what preparations are necessary, as this venture may be wrecked through lack of a cord or a gag, so see that you have everything at hand, for we cannot afford to lose a single trick. The stake, if we fail, is our heads." Wilhelm sought the Empress to let her know that he had got his men safely housed in Frankfort, and also to lay before her his plan for depositing the Electors' followers in prison. Brunhilda listened to his enthusiastic recital in silence, then shook her head slowly. " How can five hundred men hope to pinion four thousand ?" she asked. ** It needs but one to make an outcry from an upper window, and, such is the state of tension in Frankfort at the present moment that the whole city will be about your ears instantly, thus bringing forth with the rest the comrades of those you seek to imprison." " My outlaws are tigers, your Majesty. The Elec- tors* men will welcome prison, once the Hundsruckers are let loose on them. " Your outlaws may understand the ways of the forest, but not those of a city." " Well, your Majesty, they have sacked Coblentz, if that is any recommendation for them." The reply of the Empress seemed irrelevant. " Have you ever seen the hall in which the Emperors are nominated — or deposed ? " she asked. " No, your Majesty." " Then follow me." The lady led him along a passage that seemed inter- minable, then down a narrow winding stair, through *^ i 'Mi ) it 1' :! m I i I t > i i 1 : j flli '■ 1 1 i 1 j I 11 \v :l i 1 ■; 1 1 i ' 88 THE STRONG ARM vaulted tunnel, the dank air of which struck so cold and damp that the young man felt sure it was subter- ranean ; lastly up a second winding stair, at the top of which, pushing aside some hanging tapestry, they stood within the noble chamber known as the Wahl- zimmer. The red walls were concealed by hanging tapestry, the rich tunnel groining of the roof was dim in its lofty obscurity. A long table occupied the centre of the room, with three heavily-carved chairs on either side, and one, as ponderous as a throne, at the head. " There," said the Empress, waving her hand, " sit the seven Electors when a monarch of this realm is to be chosen. There, to-morrow night will sit a major- ity of the Electoral College. In honour of this assem- blage I have caused these embroidered webs to be hung round the walls, so you see, I, too, have a plan. Through this secret door which the Electors know nothing of, I propose to admit a hundred of your men to be concealed behind the tapestry. My plan differs from yours in that I determine to im^. on four men, while you would attempt to capture four thousand ; I consider therefore that my chances of success, compared with yours, are as a thousand to one. I strike at the head ; you strike at the body. If I paralyse the head, the body is powerless." Wilhelm knit his brows, looked around the room, but made no reply. ** Well," cried the Empress, impatiently, " I have criticised your plan ; criticise mine if you find a flaw m it. " Is it your Majesty's intention to have the men take their places behind the hangings before the arcb- l^ishops as^ernble ? " THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 89 " Assuredly." " Then you will precipitate a conflict before all the Electors are here, for it is certain that the first prince to arrive will have the place thoroughly searched for spies. So momentous a meeting will never be held until all fear of eavesdroppers is allayed." " That is true, Wilhelm," said the Empress with a sigh, " then there is nothing left but your project ; which I fear will result in a mel^e and frightful slaughter." " I propose, your Majesty, that we combine the two plans. We will imprison as many as may be of the archbishops* followers and then by means of the secret stairway surround their lordships." ** But they will, in the silence of the room, instantly detect the incoming of your men." " Not so, if the panel which conceals the stair, work smoothly. My men are like cats, and their entrance and placement will not cause the most timid mouse to cease nibbling." " The panel is silent enough, and it may be that your men will reach their places without betraying their presence to the archbishops, but it would be well to instruct your leaders that in case of discovery they are to rush forward, without waiting for your arrival or mine, hold the door of the Wahlzimmer at all haz- ards, and see that no Elector escapes. I am firm in my belief that once the persons of the archbishops are secured, this veiled rebellion ends, whether you im- prison your four thousand or not, for I swear by my faith that if their followers raise a hand against me, I will have the archbishops slain before their eyes, even though I go down in disaster t^C moment Mi i< H A tTl m •.tr^ 90 THE STRONG ARM 1/ illi ! If Mil ii he stern determination of the Empress would have inspired a less devoted enthusiast than Wilhelm. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. " There will be no disaster to the Empress," he said, fervently. They retired into the palace by the way they came, carefully closing the concealed panel behind them. As Wilhelm passed through the front gates of the Palace to seek Gottlieb at the barracks, he pondered over the situation and could not conceal from himself the fact that the task he had undertaken was almost impossible of accomplishment. It was an unheard of thing that five hundred men should overcome eight times their number and that without raising a disturb- ance in so closely packed a city as Frankfort, where, as the Empress had said, the state of tension was already extreme. But although he found that the pessimism of the Empress regarding his project was affecting his own belief in it, he set his teeth resolutely and swore that if it failed it would not be through lack of taking any precaution that occurred to him. At the barracks he found Gottlieb in high feather. The sight of his cheerful, confident face revived the drooping spirits of the young man. " Well, master," he cried, the freedom of outlawry still in the abruptness of his speech, ** I have returned from a close inspection of the city." "A dangerous excursion," said Wilhelm. " I trust no one else left the barracks," " Not another man, much as they dislike being housed, but it was necessary some one should know where our enemies are placed. The Archbishop of Treves, with an assurance that might have been ex- pected of him, hc^s stalled his men in the gathedral, no mmmrM THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 91 less, but a most excellent place for our purposes. A guard at each door, and there you are." " Ah, he has selected the cathedral not because of his assurance, but to intercept any communication with the Emperor, who is in the cloisters attached to it, and doubtless his lordship purposes to crown the new emperor before daybrea : at the high altar. The design of the archbishop is deeper than appears on the surface, Gottlieb. His men in the cathedral gives him possession of the Wahlkapelle where emperors are elected, after having been nominated in the Wahl- zimmer. His lordship has a taste for doing things legally. Where are the men of Cologne ? " ** In a church also ; the church of St. Leonhard on the banks of the Main. That is as easily surrounded and is as conveniently situated as if I had selected it my- self. The Count Palatine's men are in a house near the northern gate, a house which has no back exit, and therefore calls but for the closing of a street. Noth- ing could be better." ** But the Drapers' Hall which holds the Mayence troops, almost adjoins the cathedral. Is there not a danger in this circumstance that a turmoil in the one may be heard in the other?" " No, because we have most able allies." " What ? the to vnsmen ? You have surely taken none into your confidence, Gottlieb ?" " Oh, no, my Lord. Our good copartners are none other than the archbishops themselves. It is evident they expect trouble to-morrow, but none to-night. Orders have been given that all their followers are to get a good night's rest, each man to be housed and asleep by sunset. The men of both Treves and Cologne are tired with their long and hurried margh and will sleep M: I .itil m 31 I il •:l; 1 1 iM f 1 ' ^'li II if 92 THE STRONG ARM like the dead. We will first attack the men of Ma- yence, surrounding the Leinwandhaus, and I warrant you that no matter what noise there is, the Treves people will not hear. Then being on the spot, we will, when the Mayence soldiers are well bound, tie up those in the cathedral. I purpose if your lordship agrees, to leave our bound captives where they are, guarded by a sufficient number of outlaws, in case one attempts to help the other, until we have pinioned those of Co- logne and the Count Palatine. When this is off our minds we can transport all our prisoners to the fortress at our leisure." Thus it was arranged, and when night fell on the meeting of the Electors, so well did Gottlieb and his men apply themselves to the task that before an hour had passed the minions of the Electors lay packed in heaps in the aisles and the rooms where they lodged, to be transported to the prison at the convenience of their captors. Many conditions favoured the success of the seem- ingly impossible feat. Since the arrival of the soldiery there had been so many night brawls in the streets that one more or less attracted little attention, either from the military or from the civilians. The very bold- ness and magnitude of the scheme was an assistance to it. Then the stern cry of " In the name of the Em- peror ! " with which the assaulters once inside cathe- dral, church or house, fell upon their victims, deadened opposition, for the common soldiers, whether enlisted by Treves, Cologne, or Mayence, knew that the Em- peror was over all, and they had no inkling of the de- signs of their immediate masters. Then, as Gottlieb had surmised, the extreme fatigue of the followers of Ti'cves and Cologne, after their toilsome march from THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 93 their respective cities, so overcame them that many went to sleep when being conveyed from church and cathedral to prison. There was some resistance on the part of officers, speedily quelled by the victorious woodlanders, but aside from this there were few heads broken, and the wish of the Empress for a bloodless conquest was amply fulfilled. Two hours after darkness set in, Gottlieb, somewhat breathless, saluted his master at the steps of the palace and announced that the followers of the archbishops and the Count Palatine were behind bars in the Frankfort prison, with a strong guard over them to discourage any attempt at jailbreaking. When Wilhelm led his victorious soldiery silently up the narrow secret stair, pushed back, with much circumspection and caution, the sliding panel, listened for a moment to the low murmur of their lordships' voices, waited until each of his men had gone stealthily behind the tapestry, listened again and still heard the drone of speech, he returned as he came, and accompanied by a guard of two score, escorted the Empress to the broad public stairway that led up one flight to the door of the Wahl- zimmer. The two sentinels at the foot of the stairs crossed their pikes to bar the entrance of Brunhilda, but they were overpowered and gagged so quickly and silently that their two comrades at the top had no suspicion of what was going forward until they had met a similar fate. The guards at the closed door, more alert, ran forward, only to be carried away with their fellow-sentinels. Wilhelm, his sword drawn, pushed open the door anc' ried in a loud voice: " My Lords, I am commanded to announce to you that her Majesty the Empress honours you with her presence." i«iifl 94 THE STRONG ARM It would have been difficult at that moment to find four men in all Germany more astonished than were the Electors. They saw the young man who held open the door, bow low, then the stately lady so sonorously announced come slowly up the hall and stand silently before them. Wilhelm closed the door and set his back against it, his naked sword still in his right hand. Three of the Electors were about to rise to their feet, but a motion of the hand by the old man of Treves, who sat the head of the table, checked them. *' I have come," said the Empress in a low voice, but distinctly heard in the stillness of the room, " to learn why you are gathered here in Frankfort and in the Wahlzimmer, where no meeting has taken place for three hundred years, except on the death of an em- peror." ** Madame," said the Elector of Treves, leaning back in his chair and placing the tips of his fingers together before him, " all present have the right to assemble in this hall unquestioned, with the exception of yourself and the young man who erroneously styled you Empress, with such unnecessary flourish, as you entered. You are the wife of our present Emperor, but under the Salic law no woman can occupy the German throne. If flatterers have misled you by bestowing a title to which you have no claim, and if the awe inspired by that spurious appellation has won your admission past ignorant guards who should have prevented your ap- proach, I ask that you will now withdraw, and permit us to resume deliberations that should not have been interrupted." " What is the nature of those deliberations, my Lord?" *' The question is one improper for you to ask. To THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 9S answer it would be to surrender our rights as Electors of the Empire. It is enough for you to be assured, madame, that we are lawfully assembled, and that our purposes are strictly legal." ** You rest strongly on the law, my Lord, so strongly indeed that were I a suspicious person I might sur- mise that your acts deserved strict scrutiny. I will ap- peal to you, then, in the name of the law. Is it the law of this rjalm that he who directly or indirectly conspires against the peace and comfort of his emperor is ad- judged a traitor, his act being punishable by death ? " ** The law stands substantially as you have cited it, madame, but its bearing upon your presence in this room is, I confess, hidden from me." ** I shall endeavour to enlighten you, my Lord. Are you convened here to further the peace and comfort of his Majesty the Emperor?" " We devoutly trust so, madame. His Majesty is so eminently fitted for a cloister, rather than for domestic bliss or the cares of state, that we hope to pleasure him by removing all barriers in his way to a monastery " "Then until his Majesty is deposed you are, by your own confession, traitors." " Pardon me, madame, but the law regarding traitors which you quoted with quite womanly inaccuracy, and therefore pardonable, docs not apply to eight persons within this Empire, namely, the seven Electors and the Emperor himself." ** I have been unable to detect the omission you state, my Lord. There arc no exceptions, as I read the law." " The exceptions are implied, madame, if not ex- pressly set down, for it would be absurd to clothe Elec- tors with a power in the exercise of which they would I ii n u i . i- 4 i L ■m TPl 96 THE STRONG ARM ■ I constitute themselves traitors. But this discussion is as painful as it is futile, and therefore it must cease. In the name of the Electoral College here in session assembled, I ask you to withdraw, madame." ** Before obeying your command, my Lord Arch- bishop, there is another point which I wish to submit to your honourable body, so learned in the law. I see three vacant chairs before me, and I am advised that it is illegal to depose ai jmperor unless all the mem- bers of the college are present and unanimous." " Again you have been misinformed. A majority of the college elects ; a majority can depose, and in re- tiring to private life, madame, you have the consola- tion of knowing that your intervention prolonged your husband's term of office by several minutes. For the third time I request you to leave this room, and if you again refuse I shall be reluctantly compelled to place you under arrest. Young man, open the door and allow this woman to pass through." " I would have you know, my Lord," said Wilhelm, " that I am appointed commander of the imperial forces, and that I obey none but his Majesty the Emperor." " I understood that the Emperor depended upon the Heavenly Hosts," said the Archbishop, with the sus- picion of a smile on his grim lips. " It does not become a prince of the Church to sneer at Heaven or its power," said the Empress, severely. " Nothing was further from my intention madame, but you must excuse me if I did not expect to see the Heavenly Hosts commanded by a young man so pal- pably German. Still all this is aside from the point. Will you retire, or must I reluctantly use force ? " " I advise your lordship not to appeal to force." THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 97 The old man of Treves rose slowly to his feet, an ominousglitter in his eyes. He stood for some minutes regarding angrily the woman before him, as if to give her time to reconsider her stubborn resolve to hold her ground. Then raising his voice the Elector cried ; " Men of Treves ! enter ! " While one might count ten, dense silence followed this outcry, the seated Electors for the first time glanc- ing at their leader with looks of apprehension. " Treves ! Treves ! Treves ! " That potent name reverberated from the lips of its master, who had never known its magic to fail in call- ing round him stout defenders, and who could not yet believe that its power should desert him at this junc- ture. Again there was no response. " As did the prophet of old, ye call on false gods." The low vibrant voice of the Empress swelled like the tones of a rich organ as the firm command she had held over herself seemed about to depart. " Lord Wilhelm, give them a name that carries authority in its sound." Wilhelm strode forward from the door, raised his glittering sword high above his head and shouted : " The Emperor ! Cheer, ye woodland wolves ! " With a downward sweep of his sword, he cut the two silken cords which, tied to a ring near the door, held up the tapestry. The hangings fell instantly like the drop curtain of a theatre, its rustle overwhelmed in the vociferous yell that rang to the echoing roof. " Forward ! Close up your ranks ! " With simultaneous movement the men stepped over the folds on the floor and stood shoulder to shoulder, an endless oval line of living warriors, surrounding the startled group in the centre of the great hall. 7 '^■1 it ' iM ur M fr"' 98 THE STRONG ARM " Aloft, rope-men." Four men, with ropes wound round their bodies, de- tached themselves from the circle, and darting to the four corners of the room, climbed like squirrels until they reached the tunnelled roofing, where, making their way to the centre with a dexterity that was marvellous, they threw their ropes over the timbers and came spin- ning down to the floor, like gigantic spiders, each sus- pended on his own line. The four men, looped nooses in hand, took up positions behind the four Electors, all of whom were now on their feet. Wilhelm saluted the Empress, bringing the hilt of his sword to his fore- head, and stepped back. The lady spoke : " My Lords, learned in the law, you will perhaps claim with truth that there is no precedent for hang- ing an Electoral College, but neither is there precedent for deposing an Emperor. It is an interesting legal point on which we shall have definite opinion pro- nounced in the inquiry which will follow the death of men so distinguished as yourselves, and if it should be held that I have exceeded my righteous authority in thus pronouncing sentence upon you as traitors, I shall be nothing loath to make ample apology to the state." " Such reparation will be small consolation to us, your Majesty," said the Archbishop of Cologne, speak- ing for the first time. " My preference is for an ante- mortem rather than a post-mortem r.djustment of the law. My colleague of Treves, in the interests of a better understanding, I ask you to destroy the docu- ment of deposition, which you hold in your hand, and which I beg to assure her Majesty, is still unsigned." The trembling fingers of the Archbishop of Treves proved powerless to tear the tough parchment, so he THE PERIL OF THE EMPEROR 99 held it for a moment until it was consumed in the flame of a taper which stood on the table. "And now, your Majesty, speaking entirely for my- self, I give you my word as a prince of the Church and a gentlemen of the Empire, that my vote as an Elector will always be against the deposition of the Emperor, for I am convinced tliat imperial power is held in firm and capable hands." The great prelate of Cologne spoke as one making graceful concession to a lady, entirely uninfluenced by the situation in which he so unexpectedly found him- self. A smile lit up the face of the Empress as she returned his deferential bow. " I accept your word with pleasure, my Lord, fully assured that, once given, it will never be tarnished by any mental reservation." " I most cordially associate myself with my brother of Cologne and take the same pledge," spoke up his Lordship of Mayence. The Count Palatine of the Rhine moistened his dry lips and said : " I was misled by ambition, your Majesty, and thus in addition to giving you my word, I crave your im- perial pardon as well." The Archbishop of Treves sat in his chair like a man collapsed. He had made no movement since the burn- ing of the parchment. All eyes were turned upon him in the painful stillness. With visible effort he enun- ciated in deep voice the two words : " And L" The face of the Empress took on a radiance that had long been absent from it. " It seems, my Lords, that there has been merely a slight misunderstanding, which a few quiet words and some legal instruction has entirely dissipated. To ti ,! ■ ■ I. 1 100 THE STRONG ARM seal our compact, I ask you all to dine with me to- morrow night, when I am sure it will afford intense gratification to prelates so pious as yourselves to send a message to his Majesty the Emperor, informing him that his trust in Providence has not been misplaced." w ' I' ii CHAPTER V THE NEEDLE DAGGER WiLHELM VON ScHONBURG, Commander of the Im- perial Forces at Frankfort, applied himself to the task of building up an army round his nucleus of five hun- dred with all the energy and enthusiasm of youth. He first put parties of trusty men at the various city gates so that he might control, at least in a measure, the human intake and output of the city. The power which possession of the gates gave him he knew to be more apparent than real, for Frankfort was a commer- cial city, owing its prosperity to traffic, and any mate- rial interference with the ebb or flow of travel had a depressing influence on trade. If the Archbishops meant to keep their words given to the Empress, all would be well, but of their good faith Wilhelm had the gravest doubts. It would be impossible to keep secret the defeat of their Lordships, when several thousands of their men lay immured in the city prison. The whole world would thus learn sooner or later that the great Princes of the Church had come to shear and had departed shorn ; and this blow to their pride was one not easily forgiven by men so haughty and so powerful as the prelates of Treves, Mayence and Co- logne. Young as he was, Wilhelm's free life in the for- est, among those ^ittle accustomed to control the raw passions of humanity, had made him somewhat a judge of character, and he had formed the belief that the lOI U\ \\ s 1 . »'' ilil 102 THE STRONG ARM Archbishop of Cologne was a gentleman, and would keep his word, that the Archbishop of Treves would have no scruple in breaking liis, while the Archbishop of Mayence would follow the lead of Treves. This suspicion he imparted to th« Empress Brunhilda, but she did not agree with him, believing that all three, with the Count Palatine, would hereafter save their heads by attending strictly to their ecclesiastical busi- ness, leaving the rule of the Empire in the hands which now held it. " Cologne will not break the pledge he has given me," she said ; " of that I am sure. Mayence is too great an opportunist to follow an unsuccessful leader ; and the Count Palatine is too great a coward to enter upon such a dangerous business as the deposing of an emperor who is my husband. Besides, I have given the Count Palatine a post at Court which requires his constant presence in Frankfort, and so I have him in some measure a prisoner. The Electors are powerless if even one of their number is a defaulter, so what can Treves do, no matter how deeply his pride is injured, or how bitterly he thirsts for revenge ? His only re- source is boldly to raise the flag of rebellion and march his troops on Frankfort. He is too crafty a man to take such risk or to do anything so open. For this pur- pose he must set about the collection of an army se- cretly, while we may augment the Imperial troops in the light of day. So, unless he strikes speedily, we will have a force that will forever keep him in awe." This seemed a reasonable view, but it only partly allayed the apprehensions of Wilhelm. He had caught more than one fierce look of hatred directed toward him by the Archbishop of Treves, since the meeting in the Wahlzimmer, and the regard of his Lordship of THE NEEDLE DAGGER 103 Maycnce had been anything but benign. Tlicse two dignitaries had left Frankfort together, their way lying for some distance in the same direction. Wilhelm liberated their officers, and thus the two potentates had scant escort to their respective cities. Their men he refused to release, which refusal both Treves and Mayence accepted with bad grace, saying the withhold- ing cast an aspersion on their honour. This example was not followed by the suave Archbishop of Cologne, who departed some days after his colleagues. He laughed when Wilhelm informed him that his troops would remain in Frankfort, and said he would be at the less expense in his journey down the Rhine, as his men were gross feeders. Being thus quit of the three Archbishops, the ques- tion was what to do with their three thousand men. It was finally resolved to release them by detachments, drafting into the Imperial army such as were willing so to serve and take a special oath of allegiance to the Emperor, allowing those who declined to enlist to de- part from the city in whatever direction pleased them, so that they went away in small parties. It was found, however, that the men cared little for whom they fought, providing the pay was good and reasonably well assured. Thus the Imperial army received many recruits and the country round Frankfort few vagrants. The departed Archbishops made no sign, the Count Palatine seemed engrossed with his duties about the Court, the army increased daily and life went on so smoothly that Wilhelm began to cease all questioning of the future, coming at last to believe that the Em- press was right in her estimate of the situation. He was in this pleasing state of mind when an incident occurred which would have caused hirn greater anxiety U '* 1 : i iJ \ h r |; I I 104 THE STRONG ARM :l i ! 'I !i than it did had he been better acquainted with the governing forces of his country. On arising one morn- ing he found on the table of his room a parchment, held in place by a long thin dagger of peculiar con- struction. His first attention was given to the weapon and not to the scroll. The blade was extremely thin and sharp at the point, and seemed at first sight to be so exceedingly frail as to be of little service in actual combat, but a closer examination proved that it was practically unbreakable, and of a temper so fine that nothing made an impression on its keen edge. Held at certain angles, the thin blade seemed to disappear altogether and leave the empty hilt in the hand. The hilt had been treated as if it were a crucifix, and in slightly raised relief there was a figure of Christ, His outstretched arms extending along the transverse guard. On the opposite side of the handle were the sunken letters " S. S. G. G." Wilhelm fingered this dainty piece of mechanism curiously, wondering where it was made. He guessed Milan as the place of its origin, knowing enough of cutlery to admire the skill and knowledge of metallurgy that had gone to its construction, and convinced as he laid it down that it was foreign. He was well aware that no smith in Germany could fanhion a lancet so exquisitely tempered. He then turned his attention to the document which had been fastened to the table by this needle-like stiletto. At the top of the parch- ment were the same letters that had been cut in the handle of the dagger. o. vS. Cr. Cr. First warning. Wear this dagger thrust into your doublet over the heart, and folloiv hint wJio accosts yc THE NEEDLE DAGGER 105 fearing nothing if your heart be true and loyal. In strict silence safety lies. Wilhelm laughed. " It is some lover's nonsense of Elsa's," he said to himself. " * If your heart be true and loyal,' that is a woman's phrase and nothing else." Calling his wife, he held out the weapon to her and said : " Where did you get this, Elsa ? I would be glad to know who your armourer is, for I should dearly love to provide my men with weapons of such temper." Elsa looked alternately at the dagger and at her husband, bewildered. " I never saw it before, nor anything like it," she replied. " Where did you find it? It is so frail it must be for ornament merely." " Its frailness is deceptive. It is a most wonderful instrument, and I should like to know where it comes from. I thought you had bought it from some armourer and intended me to wear It as a badge of my office. Perhaps it was sent by the Empress. The word ' loy- alty ' seems to indicate that, though how it got into this room and on this table unknown to me is a mystery." Elsa shook her head as she studied the weapon and the message critically. " Her Majesty is more direct than this would indi- cate. If she had aught to say to you she would say it without ambiguity. Do you intend to wear the dagger as the scroll commands ? " " If I thought it came from the Empress I should, not otherwise." " You may be assured some one else has sent it. n \s H \\ 'r^ io6 THE STRONG ARM il M Perhaps it is intended for me," and saying this Elsa thrust the blade of che dagger through the thick coil of her hair and turned coquettishly so that her husband might judge of the effect. " Are you ambitious to set a new fashion to the Court, Elsa?" asked Wilhelm, smiling. " No ; I shall not wear it in public, but I will keep the dagger if I may." Thus the incident passed, and Wilhelm gave no more thought to the mysterious warning. His duties left him little time for meditation during the day, but as he returned at night from the barracks his mind reverted once more to the dagger, and he wondered how it came without his knowledge into his private room. His latent suspicion of the Archbishops became aroused again, and he pondered on the possibility of an emissary of theirs placing the document on his table. He had given strict instructions that if any one supposed to be an agent of their lordships presented himself at the gates he was to be permitted to enter the city without hindrance, but instant knowledge of such advent was to be sent to the Commander, which reminded him that he had not seen Gottlieb that day, this able lieutenant hav- ing general charge of all the ports. So he resolved to return to the barracks and question his underling regard- ing the recent admittances. Acting instantly on this determination, he turned quickly and saw before him a n