The Sword Maker - Robert Barr (top 10 non fiction books of all time txt) 📗

will not molest them."

"You molested me!" cried the handsome girl in the courtyard, her dark eyes flashing in the glow of the torches.

"This person," said the unemotional Greusel, betraying no eye for beauty, "called us every uncomplimentary name she could think of. We were the scum of the earth, according to her account."

The girl laughed scornfully.

"But I would not have dislodged her," continued Greusel, unperturbed, "had she not said there was a window in her room, which is on the eastern side of the Castle, overlooking the operations of the Pfalzgraf on the barge, and she proclaimed her determination to warn Stahleck that his Castle was filled with freebooters, as soon as she could make her voice heard above the din at the landing. Therefore I broke in the door, ordering her and the tirewomen to descend to the courtyard. On examining her room I find there is no such window as she described, and she could not communicate with the Count, so I advise that you send her back again."

Once more the young lady laughed, and exclaimed:

"I could not break down the door for myself, so compelled you and your clods to do it. I am immured here; a reluctant captive. You will not have me sent back to my cell, I hope, Commander?"

"No; if you are really my fellow-prisoner, and not one of the enemy."

"She may be deluding you also," warned Greusel.

"I will take the risk of that," replied Roland, smiling at the girl, who smiled back at him. She had a will of her own, but seemed sensitively responsive to fair treatment.

"Are there any men-servants?" asked Roland.

"Only three, and they are tottering with age," replied Greusel, "more frightened than the women themselves. Nevertheless, one of the retainers is important, being, as he told me, keeper of the treasure-house. I relieved him of his keys, and find that the strong-room is well supplied with bags of gold. 'Twill be the richest haul yet, excepting our two barrels of coin from--"

"Hush, hush!" cried Roland. "Mention no names. Did you discover any other exit excepting the door by which we entered?"

"No; but at the northern end there is a window through which a man of ordinary size might pass. It is, however, high above the rocks, and I discern floating in the tide a fleet of small boats."

"Ah," said Roland, "that is important."

"Taken in conjunction with the gold, most amiable robber," suggested the girl.

"Taken in conjunction with the gold," repeated Roland, smiling again; and adding, "Taken also in conjunction with a lady who, if I understand her, wishes to escape from the Pfalz."

"You are right," agreed the young girl archly. "Do I receive a share of the money?"

"Yes; if you join our band."

"Oh!" she cried, with a pout of feigned disappointment, "I thought you had already accepted me as a member. And what am I to call my new overlord, who acquires wealth so successfully that he does not wish the amount mentioned, or the place from which it was taken specified?"

"My name is Roland. Will you consent to a fair exchange?"

"I am called Hilda by my friends."

"Then, Hilda," said the young man, looking at her with admiration, "I welcome you as one of my lieutenants."

"One, indeed!" she exclaimed, with affected indignation. "I shall be first lieutenant or nothing."

"Up to this moment Herr Joseph Greusel, who so unceremoniously made your acquaintance, has been my chief lieutenant, but I willingly depose him, and give you his place."

"Do you hear that, Joseph?" Hilda called up to the man leaning over the balcony.

The deposed one made a grimace, but no reply.

"Set your guard, and come down, Greusel."

Presently Greusel appeared in the courtyard, followed by four men.

"I have left two on guard," he said.

"Right. What have you done with the servants?"

"Tied them up in a hard knot. I found a loft full of ropes."

"Right again. Take your four men, and stand guard at the door. Send Ebearhard to me."

Before Ebearhard arrived, Roland turned to the girl.

"Retire to your room," he said, "and bid your women gather together whatever you wish to carry with you."

"I'd rather stay where I am," protested Hilda, "being anxious to hear what your plans are. I confess I don't know how you can emerge from this Castle in safety."

"Fraeulein Hilda, the first duty of a chief lieutenant is obedience."

"Refusing that, what will you do?"

"I shall call two of my men, cause you to be transported to your room, and order them to see that you do not leave it again."

"Remaining here when you have departed?"

"That, of course."

"You will take the gold, however."

"Certainly; the gold obeys me; doing what I ask of it."

For a few moments the girl stood there, gazing defiance at him, but although a slight smile hovered about his lips, she realized in some subtle way--woman's intuition, perhaps--that he meant what he said. Her eyes lowered, and an expression of pique came into her pretty face; then she breathed a long sigh.

"I shall go to my room," she said very quietly.

"I will call upon you the moment I have given some instructions to my third lieutenant."

"You need not trouble," she replied haughtily, speaking, however, as mildly as himself. "I remain a prisoner of the Pfalzgraf von Stahleck, who, though a distinguished pillager like yourself, nevertheless possesses some instincts of a gentleman."

With that, the young woman retired slowly up the stairway, and disappeared, followed by her two servants.

"Ebearhard," said Roland, when that official appeared, "Greusel has discovered a window to the north through which yourself and a number of your men can get down to the rocks with the aid of a cord, and he tells me there is a loft full of ropes. A flotilla of boats is tied up at the lower end of the Castle. He has visited the treasury, and finds it well supplied with bags of coin. I intend to effect a junction between those bags and that flotilla. Our position here is quite untenable, for there is probably some secret entrance to this Castle that we know nothing of. There are also a number of women within whom we cannot coerce, and must not starve. Truth to tell, I fear them more than I do the ruffians outside. Have any of the men-at-arms discovered that we pulled up the ladder and closed the door?"

"I think not, for in such case they would return from their pillages as quickly as did the Red Margrave when he found his house was ablaze. My opinion is that they are making a clean job of looting the barge."

"If that is so, our barrels of gold are gone, rendering it the more necessary that we should carry away every kreuzer our friend Stahleck possesses. Call, therefore, every man except one from the door. Greusel has the keys, and will lead you to the treasury. Hoist the bags to the north window. While your men are doing this, rive a stout rope so that you may all speedily descend to the rocks, except as many as are necessary to lower the bags. When this is accomplished, Greusel is to report to me from the balcony, and then descend, taking with him the man on guard at the door. Apportion men and bags in all the boats but one. That one I shall take charge of. Put Greusel in command of the flotilla, and tell him to convey his fleet as quietly as possible to the eastern shore; then paddle up in slack water until he is, say, a third of a league above Pfalz. There he must await my skiff. You will stand by that skiff until I join you. I shall likely be accompanied by three women, so retain the largest and most comfortable of the small boats."

Ebearhard raised his eyebrows at the mention of the women, but said nothing.

Roland went in person to the room occupied by the young woman, and knocked at her door, whereupon it was opened very promptly.

"Madam," he said, "there is opportunity for escape if you care to avail yourself of it."

The girl had been seated when he entered, but now she rose, speaking in a voice that was rather tremulous.

"Sir, I was wrong to disobey you when you had treated me so kindly. I shall therefore punish myself by remaining where I am."

"In that case, Madam, you will punish me as well; and, indeed, I deserve it, forgetting as I did for the moment that I addressed a lady. If you will give me the pleasure of escorting you, I shall conduct you in safety to whatever place of refuge you wish to reach."

"Sir, you are most courteous, but I fear my intended destination might take you farther afield than would be convenient for you."

"My time is my own, and nothing could afford me greater gratification than the assurance of your security. Tell me your destination."

"It is the Convent of Nonnenwerth, situated on an island larger than this, near Rolandseck."

"I shall be happy to convoy you thither."

"Again I thank you. It is my desire to join the Sisterhood there."

"Not to become a nun?" cried Roland, an intonation of disappointment in his voice.

"Yes; although to this determination my guardian is opposed."

"Alas," said Roland, with a sigh, "I confess myself in agreement with him so far as your taking the veil is concerned. Still, imprisonment seems an unduly harsh alternative."

The girl's seriousness fled, and she smiled at him.

"As you have had some experience of my obstinacy, and proposed an even harsher remedy than that--"

"Ah, you forget," interrupted Roland, "that I apologized for my lack of manners. I hope during our journey to Nonnenwerth I may earn complete forgiveness."

"Oh, you are forgiven already, which is magnanimous of me, when you recollect that the fault was wholly my own. I will join you in the courtyard at once if I may."

"Very well. I shall be down there after I have given final instructions to my men."

Roland arrived at the north window, and saw that the flotilla had already departed. He could discern Ebearhard standing with his hand on the prow of the remaining boat, so pulled up the rope, untied it from the ring to which it was fastened, and threw it down to his lieutenant.

"A rope is always useful," he whispered, "and we will puzzle the good Pfalzgraf regarding our exit."

In the courtyard he found the three women awaiting him. Quietly he drew back the heavy bolts, and undid the stout chains. Holding the door slightly ajar, he peered out at the scene on the landing, brightly illuminated by numerous torches which the servants held aloft.

The men-at-arms were enjoying themselves hugely, and the great heap of bales already on the rocks showed that they resolved not to leave even one package on the barge. The fact that they stood in the light prevented their seeing the exit of the quartette from the Castle, even had any been on the outlook.

Roland swung the door wide, placed the ladder in exactly the same position it had formerly occupied, assisted the three women to the ground, and then led them round the western side of the Castle through the darkness