XI
GOLD GALORE THAT TAKES TO ITSELF WINGS
In the thick darkness Roland paced up and down the east bank of theRhine at a spot nearly midway between Assmannshausen and Ehrenfels. Thenight was intensely silent, its stillness merely accentuated by thegentle ripple of the water current against the barge's blunt nose, whichpointed upstream. Standing motionless as a statue, the massive figure ofCaptain Blumenfels appeared in deeper blackness against the inky hillson the other side of the Rhine. Long sweeps lay parallel to the bulwarksof the barge, and stalwart men were at their posts, waiting the word ofcommand to handle these exaggerated oars, in defiance of wind and tide.On this occasion, however, the tide only would be against them, for thestrong southern breeze was wholly favorable. Their voyage that nightwould be short, but strenuous; merely crossing the river, and tying upagainst the opposite bank; but the Rhine swirled powerfully round therock of Ehrenfels above them, and the men at the sweeps must pullvigorously if they were not to be carried down into premature danger.
Roland, who when they left Frankfort was in point of time the youngestmember of the guild, now seemed, if one could distinguish him throughthe gloom of the night, to have become years older, and there was anadded dignity in his bearing, for, although now but a potentialfreebooter, he had received assurance that he would be eventuallyelected Emperor.
He had sent word that morning to Greusel at the Golden Anker, biddinghim get together his men, and lead them up to the barge not later thanan hour before the moon rose, for Roland was anxious to reach the otherside of the Rhine unseen from either shore. He cautioned Greusel to makehis march a silent one, and this order Joseph at first found somedifficulty in carrying out, but in any case he need have entertained nofear. The strong red wine of Assmannshausen is a potent liquid, and theinhabitants of the town were accustomed to song and laughter on the onestreet of the place at all hours of the night.
When they arrived, the men were quiet enough, and speedily stowedthemselves away in their quarters at the stern of the barge, whereuponRoland, the last to spring aboard, waved his hand at the captain to castoff. The nose of the boat was shoved away from land, and then thepowerful sweeps dipped into the water. Slowly but surely she made herway across the river; silent and invisible from either bank. Thecurrent, however, swept them down opposite the twinkling lights ofAssmannshausen, after which, in the more tranquil waters of the westernshore, they rowed steadily upstream for about half a league, and then,with ropes tied round trees growing at the water's edge, laid up for theremainder of the night.
Roland now counseled his company to enjoy what sleep was possible, asthey would be roused at the first glint of daybreak; so, with greatgood-nature, each man wrapped himself up in his cloak and lay down onthe cabin floor.
When the eastern sky became gray, the slumberers were awakened, and aration of bread and wine served to each. The captain already hadreceived his instructions, and the men discarding their cloaks, followedtheir leader into the still gloomy forest. Here, with as little noise asmight be, they climbed the steep wooded hill, and arriving at somethingalmost like a path, a hundred yards up from the river, they turned tothe right, and so marched, no man speaking above a whisper.
The forest became lighter and lighter, and at last Roland, holding uphis hand to sign caution, turned to the left from the path, and fartherup into the unbroken forest. They had traversed perhaps a league whenanother silent order brought them to a standstill, and peering throughthe trees to the east, the men caught glimpses of the grand, graybattlements of that famous stronghold, Rheinstein, seeing at the cornernearest them a square tower, next a machicolated curtain of wall, and alarger square tower almost as high as the first hanging over theprecipice that descended to the Rhine. Inside this impregnable enclosurerose the great bulk of the Castle itself, and near at hand the massivesquare keep, with an octagonal turret on the southeast corner, the topof which was the highest point of the stronghold, although a round towerrising directly over the Rhine was not much lower.
Roland, advancing through the trees, but motioning his men to remainwhere they were, peered across to the battlements and down at theentrance gate.
Baron von Hohenfels sat so secure in his elevated robber's nest, whichhe deemed invincible--and, indeed, the cliff on which it stood, nearly ahundred yards high, made it so if approached from the Rhine--that hekept only one man on watch, and this sentinel was stationed on theelevated platform of the round tower. Roland saw him yawn wearily as heleaned against his tall lance, and was glad to learn that even one mankept guard, for at first he feared that all within the Castle wereasleep, the round tower, until Roland had shifted his position to thenorth, being blotted out by the nearer square donjon keep. Nowsatisfied, he signaled his men to sit down, which they did. He himselftook up a position behind a tree, where, unseen, he could watch the manwith the lance.
So indolent was the sentry that Roland began to fear the barge wouldpass by unnoticed. Not for months had any sailing craft appeared on theriver, and doubtless the warden regarded his office as both useless andwearisome. Brighter and brighter became the eastern sky, and at last atinge of red appeared above the hills across the silent Rhine. Suddenlythe guardian straightened up, then, shading his eyes with his righthand, he leaned over the battlements, peering to the south. A momentlater the stillness was rent by a lusty shout, and the man disappearedas if he had fallen through a trap-door. Presently the notes of a bugleechoed within the walls, followed by clashes of armor and the buzzingsound of men, as though a wasp's nest had been disturbed. Half a dozencame into sight on top of the various towers and battlements, glanced atthe river, and vanished as hastily as the sentinel had done.
At last the gates came ponderously open, and the first three men toemerge were on horseback, one of them hastily getting into an outergarment, but the well-trained horses, who knew their business quite asthoroughly as their riders, for they were accustomed to plunge into theriver if any barge disobeyed the order commanding it to halt, turnedfrom the gate, and dashed down the steep road that descended through theforest. The men-at-arms poured forth with sword or pike, and in turnwent out of sight. They appeared to be leaderless, dashing forward in noparticular formation, yet, like the horses, they knew their business.All this turmoil was not without its effect on Roland's following, whoedged forward on hands and knees to discover what was going on, everyonebreathless with excitement; but they saw their leader cool andmotionless, counting on his fingers the number of men who passed out,for he knew exactly how many fighters the Castle contained.
"Not yet, not yet!" he whispered.
Finally three lordly individuals strode out; officers their moreresplendent clothing indicated them to be, and the trio followed theothers.
"Ha!" cried Roland, "old Baron Hugo drank too deeply last night to be soearly astir."
He was speaking aloud now.
"Take warning from that, my lads, and never allow wine to interfere withbusiness. Follow me, but cautiously, one after the other in single file,and look to your footing. 'Tis perilous steep between here and thegate;" and, indeed, so they found it, but all reached the levelforecourt in safety, and so through the open portal.
"Close and bar those gates," was the next command, instantly obeyed.
Down the stone steps of the Castle, puffing and grunting, came agigantic, obese individual, his face bloated with excess, his eyesbleary with the lees of too much wine. He was struggling into hisdoublet, assisted by a terrified old valet, and was swearing mostdeplorably. Seeing the crowd at the gate, and half-blindly mistakingthem for his own men, he roared:
"What do you there, you hounds? To the river, every man of you, andcurse your leprous, indolent souls! Why in the fiend's name--" But herehe came to an abrupt stop on the lowest step, the sting of a sword'spoint at his throat, and now, out of breath, his purple face becamemottled.
"Good morning to you, Baron Hugo von Hohenfels. These men whom youaddress so coarsely obey no orders but mine."
"And who, i
mp of Satan, are you?" sputtered the old man.
"By profession a hangman. From our fastnesses in the hills, seeing abarge float down the river, we thought it likely you would leave theCastle undefended, and so came in to execute the Prince of Robbers."
The Baron was quaking like a huge jelly. It was evident that, althoughnoted for his cruelty, he was at heart a coward.
"You--you--you--" he stammered, "are outlaws! You are outlaws from theHunsruck."
"How clever of you, Baron, to recognize us at once. Now you know what toexpect. Greusel, unwind the rope I gave you last night. I will show youits purpose."
Greusel did as he was requested without comment, but Ebearhardapproached closely to his chief, and whispered:
"Why resort to violence? We have no quarrel with this elephant. 'Tis hisgold we want, and to hang him is a waste of time."
"Hush, Ebearhard," commanded Roland sternly. "The greater includes theless. I know this man, and am taking the quickest way to histreasure-house."
Ebearhard fell back, but by this time the useful Greusel had made a loopof the rope, and threw it like a cravat around the Baron's neck.
"No, no, no!" cried the frightened nobleman. "'Tis not my life you seek.That is of no use to such as you; and, besides, I have never harmed theoutlaws."
"That is a lie," said Roland. "You sent an expedition against us just ayear ago."
"'Twas not I," protested Hohenfels, "but the pirate of Falkenberg.Still, no matter. I'll buy my life from you. I am a wealthy man."
"How much?" asked Roland, hesitating.
"More than all of you can carry away."
"In gold?"
"Of a surety in gold."
"Where are the keys of your treasury?"
"In my chamber. I will bring them to you," and the Baron turned to mountthe steps again.
"Not so," cried Roland. "Stand where you are, and send your man forthem. If they are not here before I count twoscore, you hang, andnothing will save you."
The Baron told the trembling valet where to find the keys.
"Greusel, you and Ebearhard accompany him, and at the first sign oftreachery, or any attempt to give an alarm, run him through with yourswords. Does your man know where the treasury is?" he continued to theBaron.
"Oh, yes, yes!"
"How is your gold bestowed?"
"In leathern bags."
"Good. Greusel, take sixteen of the men, and bring down into thecourtyard all the gold you can carry. Then we will estimate whether ornot it is sufficient to buy the Baron's life, for I hold him in highesteem. He is a valuable man. See to it that there is no delay, Greusel,and never lose sight of this valet. Bring him back, laden with gold."
They all disappeared within the Castle, led by the old servitor.
"Sit you down, Baron," said Roland genially. "You seem agitated, forwhich there is no cause should there prove to be gold enough to outweighyou."
The ponderous noble seated himself with a weary sigh.
"And pray to the good Lord above us," went on Roland, "that your men maynot return before this transaction is completed, for if they do, myfirst duty will be to strangle you. Even gold will not save you in thatcase. But still, you have another chance for your life, should such anuntoward event take place. Shout to them through the closed gates thatthey must return to the edge of the river until you join them; then, ifthey obey, you are spared. Remember, I beg of you, the uselessness of anoutcry, for we are in possession of Rheinstein, and you know that theCastle is unassailable from without."
The Baron groaned.
"Do not be hasty with your cord," he said dejectedly. "I will followyour command."
The robbers, however, did not return, but the treasure-searchers did,piling the bags in the courtyard, and again Hohenfels groaned dismallyat the sight. Roland indicated certain sacks with the point of hissword, ordering them to be opened. Each was full of gold.
"Now, my lads," he cried, "oblige the Baron by burdening yourselves withthis weight of metal, then we shall make for the Hunsruck. Open thegates. Lead the men to the point where we halted, Greusel, and thereawait me."
The rich company departed, and Roland beguiled the time and theweariness of the Baron by a light and interesting conversation to whichthere was neither reply nor interruption. At last, having allowed timefor his band to reach their former halting-place, he took the rope fromthe Baron's neck, tied the old robber's hands behind him, then bound hisfeet, cutting the rope in lengths with his sword. He served thetrembling valet in the same way, shutting him up within the Castle, andlocking the door with the largest key in the bunch, which bunch he threwdown beside his lordship.
"Baron von Hohenfels," he said, "I have kept my word with you, and nowbid farewell. I leave you out-of-doors, because you seem rather scant ofbreath, for which complaint fresh air is beneficial. Adieu, my lordBaron."
The Baron said nothing as Roland, with a sweep of his bonnet, took leaveof him, climbed the steep path and joined his waiting men. He led themalong the hillside, through the forest for some distance, then descendedto the water's edge. The river was blank, so they all sat down under thetrees out of sight, leaving one man on watch. Here Roland spent a veryanxious half-hour, mitigated by the knowledge that the men of Rheinsteinwere little versed in woodcraft, and so might not be able to trace thefugitives. It was likely they would make a dash in quite the oppositedirection, towards the Hunsruck, because Hohenfels believed they wereoutlaws from that district, and did not in any way associate them withthe plundered barge.
But if the robbers of Rheinstein took a fancy to sink the barge, an actonly too frequently committed, then were Roland and his company in aquandary, without food, or means of crossing the river. However, he wassure that Captain Blumenfels would follow his instructions, which wereto offer no resistance, but rather to assist the looters in theirexactions.
"Within a league," said Roland to his men, "stand three pirate castles:Rheinstein, which we have just left; Falkenberg, but a short distancebelow, and then Sonneck. If nothing happens to the barge, I expect tofinish with all three before nightfall; for, the strongholds being soclose together, we must work rapidly, and not allow news of our doingsto leap in advance of us."
"But suppose," said Kurzbold, "that Hohenfels' men hold the barge at thelanding for their own use?"
"We will wait here for another half-hour," replied Roland, "and then, ifwe see nothing of the boat, proceed along the water's edge until welearn what has become of her. I do not think the thieves will interferewith the barge, as they have not been angered either by disobedience oftheir orders to land, or resistance after the barge is by the shore.Besides, I count on the fact that the officers, at least, will beanxious to let the barge proceed, hoping other laden boats may follow,and, indeed, I think for this reason they will be much more moderate intheir looting than we have been."
Before he had finished speaking, the man on watch by the water announcedthe barge in sight, floating down with the current. At this they allemerged from the forest. Captain Blumenfels, carefully scanning theshore, saw them at once, and turned the boat's head towards the spotwhere they stood.
The bags of gold were bolted away in the stout lockers extending on eachside of the cabin. While this was being done, Roland gave minuteinstructions to the captain regarding the next item in the programme,and once more entered the forest with his men.
The task before them was more difficult than the spoiling of Rheinstein,because the huge bulk of Falkenberg stood on a summit of treeless rock;the Castle itself, a gigantic, oblong gray mass, with a slender squarecampanile some distance from it, rising high above its battlements onthe slope that went down towards the Rhine, forming thus an excellentwatch-tower. But although the conical hill of rock was bare of the largetrees that surrounded Rheinstein, there were plenty of bowlders andshrubbery behind which cover could be sought. On this occasion themarauding guild could not secure a position on a level with thebattlements of the Castle, as had been the case behind Rheinstein, and,furtherm
ore, they were compelled to make their dash for the gate up-hill.
But these disadvantages were counterbalanced by the fact that Falkenbergwas situated much higher than Rheinstein, and was farther away from theriver, so that when the garrison descended to the water's edge it couldnot return as speedily as was the case with Hohenfels' men. Rheinsteinstood directly over the water, and only two hundred and sixty feet aboveit, while, comparatively speaking, Falkenberg was back in the country.Still all these castles had been so long unmolested, and consideredthemselves so secure, that adequate watching had fallen into abeyance,and at Falkenberg guard was kept by one lone man on the tall campanile.The attacking party saw no one on the battlements of the Castle, soworked their way round the hill until the man on the tower was hiddenfrom them by the bulk of the Castle itself, and thus they crawled likelizards from bush to bush, from stone to stone, and from rock-ledge torock-ledge, taking their time, and not deserting one position ofobscurity until another was decided upon. The fact that the watchman wasupon the Rhine side of the Castle greatly favored a stealthy approachfrom any landward point.
At last the alarm was given; the gate opened, and, as it proved, everyman in the Castle went headlong down the hill. The amateur cracksmentherefore had everything their own way, and while this at first seemedan advantage, they speedily found it the reverse, for although theywandered from room to room, the treasure could not be discovered. Theinterior of Falkenberg was unknown to Roland, this being one of thestrongholds where he had been compelled to sleep in an outhouse. At lastthey found the door to the treasure-chamber, for Roland suggested it wasprobably in a similar position to that at Rheinstein, and those who hadaccompanied Hohenfels' valet made search according to this hint, andwere rewarded by coming upon a door so stoutly locked that all theirefforts to force it open were fruitless.
Deeply disappointed, with a number of the men grumbling savagely, theywere compelled to withdraw empty handed, warned by approaching shoutsthat the garrison was returning, so the men crawled away as they hadcome, and made for the river, where on this occasion the boat alreadyawaited them.
The lord of Falkenberg proved as moderate in his exactions as the menof Rheinstein. Many bales had been cut open, and the thieves, with theknowledge of cloth-weavers, selected in every case only the best goods,but of these had taken merely enough for one costume each.
Although the company had made so early a beginning, it was past noon bythe time they reached the barge on the second occasion. A substantial meal was served, for every man was ravenously hungry, besides beingdisgusted to learn that there were ups and downs even in the tradeof thievery.
Early in the afternoon they made for the delicate Castle of Sonneck,whose slender turrets stood out beautifully against the blue sky. Hereexcellent cover was found within sight of the doorway, for Sonneck stoodalone on its rock without the protection of a wall.
In this case the experience of Rheinstein was repeated, with theexception that it was not the master of the Castle they encountered, buta frightened warder, who, with a sharp sword to influence him, producedkeys and opened the treasury. Not nearly so large a haul of gold wasmade as in the first instance, yet enough was obtained to constitute amost lucrative day's work, and with this they sought the barge in highspirits.
They waited in the shadow of the hills until dusk, then quietly madetheir way across the river behind the shelter of the two islands, and socame to rest alongside the bank, just above the busy town of Lorch,scarcely two leagues down the river from the berth they had occupied thenight before. After the barge was tied up, Roland walked on deck withthe captain, listening to his account of events from the level of theriver surface. It proved that, all in all, Roland could suggest noamendment of the day's proceedings. So far as Blumenfels was concerned,everything had gone without a hitch.
As they promenaded thus, one of the men came forward, and said, rathercavalierly:
"Commander, your comrades wish to see you in the cabin."
Roland made no reply, but continued his conversation with the captainuntil he learned from that somewhat reticent individual all he wished toknow. Then he walked leisurely aft, and descended into the cabin, wherehe found the eighteen seated on the lockers, as if the conclave were adeliberate body like the Electors, who had come to some momentousdecision.
"We have unanimously passed a resolution," said Kurzbold, "that themoney shall be divided equally amongst us each evening. You do notobject, I suppose?"
"No; I don't object to your passing a resolution."
"Very good. We do not wish to waste time just now in the division,because we are going to Lorch, intending to celebrate our success with abanquet. Would Greusel, Ebearhard, and yourself care to join us?"
"I cannot speak for the other two," returned Roland quietly; "butpersonally I shall be unable to attend, as there are some plans for thefuture which need thinking over."
"In that case we shall not expect you," went on Kurzbold, who seemed inno way grieved at the loss of his commander's company.
"Perhaps," suggested John Gensbein, "our chief will drop in upon uslater in the evening. We learned at Assmannshausen that the Krone is avery excellent tavern, so we shall sup there."
"How did you know we were to stop at Lorch?" asked Roland, wondering ifin any way they had heard he was to meet Goebel's emissary in thisvillage.
"We were not sure," replied Gensbein, "but we made inquiries concerningall the villages and castles down the Rhine, and have taken notes."
"Ah, in that case you are well qualified as a guide. I may find occasionto use the knowledge thus acquired."
"We are all equally involved in this expedition," said Kurzboldimpatiently, "and you must not imagine yourself the only person to beconsidered. But we lose time. What we wish at the present moment is thatyou will unlock one of these chests, and divide amongst us a bag ofgold. The rest is to be partitioned when we return this evening; andafter that, Herr Roland, we shall not need to trouble you by asking formore money."
"Are the thirty thalers I gave you the other day all spent, HerrKurzbold?"
"No matter for that," replied this insubordinate ex-president. "Themoney in the lockers is ours, and we demand a portion of it now, withthe remainder after the banquet."
Without another word, Roland took the bunch of keys from his belt,opened one of the lockers, lifted out a bag of gold, untied the thongs,and poured out the coins on the lid of the chest, which he locked again.
"There is the money," he said to Kurzbold. "I shall send Greusel andEbearhard to share in its distribution, and thus you can invite them toyour banquet. My own portion you may leave on the lid of the locker."
With that he departed up on deck again, and said to his officers:
"Kurzbold, on behalf of the men, has demanded a bag of gold. You will goto the cabin and receive your share. They will also invite you to abanquet at the Krone. Accept that invitation, and if possible engage aprivate room, as you did at Assmannshausen, to prevent the men talkingwith any of the inhabitants. Keep them roystering there until all thevillage has gone to bed; then convoy them back to the barge as quietlyas you can. A resolution has been passed that the money is to be dividedamongst our warriors on their return, but I imagine that they will be inno condition to act as accountants when I have the pleasure of beholdingthem again, so if anything is said about the apportionment, suggest apostponement of the ceremony until morning. I need not add that I expectyou both to drink sparingly, for this is advice I intend to followmyself."
Roland paced the deck deep in thought until his difficult contingentdeparted towards the twinkling lights of the village, then he went tothe cabin, poured his share of the gold into his pouch, and followed thecompany at a distance into Lorch. He avoided the Krone, and afterinquiring his way, stopped at the much smaller hostelry, Mergler's Inn.Here he gave his name, and asking if any one waited for him, wasconducted upstairs to a room where he found Herr Kruger just about tosit down to his supper. A stout lad nearing twenty years of age stood inthe m
iddle of the room, and from his appearance Roland did not need theelder man's word for it that this was his son.
"I took the precaution of bringing him with me," said Kruger, "as Ithought two horsemen were better than one in the business I hadundertaken."
"You were quite right," returned Roland, "and I congratulate you upon sostalwart a traveling companion. With your permission I shall order ameal, and sup with you, thus we may save time by talking while we eat,because you will need to depart as speedily as possible."
"You mean in the darkness? To-night?"
"Yes; as soon as you can get away. There are urgent reasons why youshould be on the road without delay. How came you here?"
"On horseback; first down the Main, then along the Rhine."
"Very well. In the darkness you will return by the way you came, butonly as far as the Castle of Ehrenfels, three leagues from here. Thereyou are to rouse up the custodian, and in safety spend the remainder ofthe night. To-morrow morning he will furnish you a guide to conduct youthrough the forest to Wiesbaden, and from thence you know your way toFrankfort, which you should reach not later than evening."
At this point the landlord, who had been summoned, came in.
"I will dine with my friends here," said Roland. "I suppose I need notask if you possess some of the good red wine of Lorch, which they tellme equals that of Assmannshausen?"
"Of the very best, mein Herr, the product of my own vineyard, and I cantherefore guarantee it sound. As for equaling that of Assmannshausen, wehave always considered it superior, and, indeed, many other good judgesagree with us."
"Then bring me a stoup of it, and you will be enabled to add my opinionto that of the others."
When the landlord produced the wine, Roland raised it to his lips, andabsorbed a hearty draught.
"This is indeed most excellent, landlord, and does credit alike to yourvines and your inn. I wish to send two large casks of so fine a wine toa merchant of my acquaintance in Frankfort, and my friend, Herr Kruger,has promised to convey it thither. If you can spare me two casks of suchexcellent vintage, they will make an evenly balanced burden for thehorse."
"Surely, mein Herr."
"Choose two of those long casks, landlord, with bung-holes of thelargest at the sides. Do you possess such a thing as a pack-saddle?"
"Oh, yes."
"And you, my young friend," he said, turning to Kruger's son, "rode hereon a saddle?"
"No," interjected his father; "I ride a saddle, but my son was forced tocontent himself with a length of Herr Goebel's coarse cloth, folded fourtimes, and strapped to the horse's back."
"Then the cloth may still be used as a cushion for the pack-saddle, andyou, my lad, will be compelled to walk, to which I dare venture you arewell accustomed."
The lad grinned, but made no objection.
"Now, landlord, while we eat, fill your casks with wine, then place thepack-saddle on the back of this young man's horse, and the casksthereon, for I dare say you have men expert in such a matter."
"There are no better the length of the Rhine," said the landlordproudly.
"Lay the casks so that the bung-holes are upward, and do not drive thebungs more tightly in place than is necessary, for they are to beextracted before Frankfort is reached, that another friend of mine mayprofit by the wine. When this is done, bring me word, and let me knowhow much I owe you."
The landlord gone, the three men fell to their meal.
"There is more gold," said Roland, "than I expected, and it isimpossible even for two of you to carry it in bags attached to yourbelts. Besides, if you are molested, such bestowal of it would provemost unsafe. A burden of wine, however, is too common either to attractnotice or arouse cupidity. I propose, then, when we leave here, to bringyou to the barge belonging to Herr Goebel, and taking out the bungs, wewill pour the gold into the barrels, letting the wine that is displacedoverflow to the ground. Then we will stoutly drive in the bungs, andshould the guards question you at the gates of Frankfort, you may letthem taste the wine if they insist, and I dare say it will contain noflavor of the metal."
"A most excellent suggestion," said Herr Kruger with enthusiasm. "Anadmirable plan; for I confess I looked forward with some anxiety to thisjourney, laden down with bags of gold under my cloak."
"Yes. You are simply an honest drinker, tired of the white wine ofFrankfort, and providing yourself with the stronger fluid that Lorchproduces. I am sure you will deliver the money safely to Herr Goebel,somewhat in drink, it is true, but, like the rest of us, none the worsefor that when the fumes are gone."
The repast finished, and all accounts liquidated, the trio left the inn,and, leading the two horses, reached the barge without observation. Herethe bungs were removed from the casks, and the three men, assisted bythe captain, quietly and speedily opened bag after bag, pouring thecoins down into the wine; surely a unique adulteration, astonishing evento so heady a fluid as the vintage of Lorch. From the whole amountRoland deducted two thousand thalers, which he divided equally betweentwo empty bags.
"This thousand thalers," said he to Kruger, "is to be shared by your sonand yourself, in addition to whatever you may receive from Herr Goebel.The other you will hand to the custodian of Ehrenfels Castle, saying itcame from his friend Roland, and is recompense for the money he lent theother day. That will be an effective letter of introduction to him. Saythat I ask him to send his son with you as guide through the forest toWiesbaden; and so good-night and good luck to you."
It was long after midnight when the guild came roystering up the bank ofthe Rhine to the barge. The moon had risen, and gave them sufficientlight to steer a reasonably straight course without danger of fallinginto the water. Ebearhard was with them, but Greusel walked rapidlyahead, so that he might say a few words to his chief before the othersarrived.
"I succeeded in preventing their talking with any stranger, but theyhave taken aboard enough wine to make them very difficult and ratherquarrelsome if thwarted. When I proposed that they should leave thecounting until to-morrow morning they first became suspicious, and thenresented the imputation that they were not in fit condition for such atask. I recommend, therefore, that you allow them to divide the moneyto-night. It will allay their fear that some trick is to be played uponthem, and if you hint at intoxication, they are likely to get out ofhand. As it does not matter when the money is distributed, I counsel youto humor them to-night, and postpone reasoning until to-morrow."
"I'll think about it," said Roland.
"They have bought several casks of wine, and are taking turns incarrying them. Will you allow this wine to come aboard, even if youdetermine to throw it into the water to-morrow?"
"Oh, yes," said Roland, with a shrug of the shoulders. "Coax them intothe cabin as quietly as possible, and keep them there if you can, forshould they get on deck, we shall lose some of them in the river."
Greusel turned back to meet the bellowing mob, while Roland roused thecaptain and his men.
"Get ready," he said to Blumenfels, "and the moment I raise my hand,shove off. Make for this side of the larger island, and come to restthere for the remainder of the night. Command your rowers to put theirwhole force into the sweeps."
This was done accordingly, and well done, as was the captain's custom.The late moon threw a ghostly light over the scene, and the barrenisland proved deserted and forbidding, as the crew tied up the bargealongside. Most of the lights in Lorch had gone out, and the town lay inthe silence of pallid moonbeams like a city of the dead. Roland stood ondeck with Greusel and Ebearhard by his side, the latter relating thedifficulties of the evening. There had been singing in the cabin duringthe passage across, then came a lull in the roar from below, followed bya shout that betokened danger. An instant later the crowd came boilingup the short stair to the deck, Kurzbold in command, all swords drawn,and glistening in the moonlight.
"You scoundrel!" he cried to Roland, "those lockers are full of emptybags."
"I know that," replied Roland, quietly. "The money is
in safe keeping,and will be honestly divided at the conclusion of this expedition."
"You thief! You robber!" shouted Kurzbold, flourishing his weapon.
"Quite accurate," replied Roland, unperturbed. "I was once called aPrince of Thieves when I did not deserve the title. Now I have earnedit."
"You have earned the penalty of thieving, and we propose to throw youinto the Rhine."
"Not, I trust, before you learn where the money is deposited."
Drunk as they were, this consideration staggered them, but Kurzbold wasmad with rage and wine.
"Come on, you poltroons!" he shouted. "There are only three of them."
"Draw your swords, gentlemen," whispered Roland, flashing his own bladein the moonlight.
Greusel and Ebearhard obeyed his command.