Part 11 (1/2)

”I will stay here,” said the Baron, quietly, ”and keep back those who follow as long as G.o.d will give me grace so to do.”

A murmur of remonstrance rose among the faithful few who were with him, two of whom were near of kin. But Conrad of Drachenhausen turned fiercely upon them.

”How now,” said he, ”have I fallen so low in my troubles that even ye dare to raise your voices against me? By the good Heaven, I will begin my work here by slaying the first man who dares to raise word against my bidding.” Then he turned from them. ”Here, Hans,” said he, ”take the boy; and remember, knave, what thou hast sworn.”

He pressed Otto close to his breast in one last embrace. ”My little child,” he murmured, ”try not to hate thy father when thou thinkest of him hereafter, even though he be hard and b.l.o.o.d.y as thou knowest.”

But with his suffering and weakness, little Otto knew nothing of what was pa.s.sing; it was only as in a faint flickering dream that he lived in what was done around him.

”Farewell, Otto,” said the Baron, but Otto's lips only moved faintly in answer. His father kissed him upon either cheek. ”Come, Hans,” said he, hastily, ”take him hence;” and he loosed Otto's arms from about his neck.

Hans took Otto upon the saddle in front of him.

”Oh! my dear Lord Baron,” said he, and then stopped with a gulp, and turned his grotesquely twitching face aside.

”Go,” said the Baron, harshly, ”there is no time to lose in woman's tears.”

”Farewell, Conrad! farewell, Conrad!” said his two kinsmen, and coming forward they kissed him upon the cheek then they turned and rode away after Hans, and Baron Conrad was left alone to face his mortal foe.

XIII. How Baron Conrad Held the Bridge.

As the last of his followers swept around the curving road and was lost to sight, Baron Conrad gave himself a shake, as though to drive away the thoughts that lay upon him. Then he rode slowly forward to the middle of the bridge, where he wheeled his horse so as to face his coming enemies.

He lowered the vizor of his helmet and bolted it to its place, and then saw that sword and dagger were loose in the scabbard and easy to draw when the need for drawing should arise.

Down the steep path from the hill above swept the pursuing hors.e.m.e.n.

Down the steep path to the bridge-head and there drew rein; for in the middle of the narrow way sat the motionless, steel-clad figure upon the great war-horse, with wide, red, panting nostrils, and body streaked with sweat and flecked with patches of foam.

One side of the roadway of the bridge was guarded by a low stone wall; the other side was naked and open and bare to the deep, slow-moving water beneath. It was a dangerous place to attack a desperate man clad in armor of proof.

”Forward!” cried Baron Henry, but not a soul stirred in answer, and still the iron-clad figure sat motionless and erect upon the panting horse.

”How,” cried the Baron Henry, ”are ye afraid of one man? Then follow me!” and he spurred forward to the bridge-head. But still no one moved in answer, and the Lord of Trutz-Drachen reined back his horse again.

He wheeled his horse and glared round upon the stolid faces of his followers, until his eyes seemed fairly to blaze with pa.s.sion beneath the bars of his vizor.

Baron Conrad gave a roar of laughter. ”How now,” he cried; ”are ye all afraid of one man? Is there none among ye that dares come forward and meet me? I know thee, Baron Henry thou art not afraid to cut off the hand of a little child. Hast thou not now the courage to face the father?”

Baron Henry gnashed his teeth with rage as he glared around upon the faces of his men-at-arms. Suddenly his eye lit upon one of them. ”Ha!

Carl Spigler,” he cried, ”thou hast thy cross-bow with thee;--shoot me down yonder dog! Nay,” he said, ”thou canst do him no harm under his armor; shoot the horse upon which he sits.”

Baron Conrad heard the speech. ”Oh! thou coward villain!” he cried, ”stay; do not shoot the good horse. I will dismount and fight ye upon foot.” Thereupon, armed as he was, he leaped clas.h.i.+ng from his horse and turning the animal's head, gave it a slap upon the flank. The good horse first trotted and then walked to the further end of the bridge, where it stopped and began cropping at the gra.s.s that grew beside the road.

”Now then!” cried Baron Henry, fiercely, ”now then, ye cannot fear him, villains! Down with him! forward!”

Slowly the troopers spurred their horses forward upon the bridge and toward that one figure that, grasping tightly the great two-handed sword, stood there alone guarding the pa.s.sage.