Evening star., 1895-09-14

The watchman knew the bishop: but he
also knew the count his master.
Il dare not let down the bridge without
an order from my lord he faltered.
Then before you can turn around you're
a dead man." said the bishop.
"Will you hold me harmless with my lord
If l let it down."
AYE, he shall lot hurt you. But If you
do not immediately let it down, I'll shoot
you first and refuse you Christian burial
afterward. Come, down with it"
So the watchman, fearing that, II he re-
fused, the bishop would spare neither body
nor soul, but would destroy the one and
damn the other let down the bridge, and
the bishop. leaping from his horse, ran
across with his drawn sword in o'.e hand
and a pistol in the other. Walking into
the hall, he found great company of
Count Nikolas men, drinking with one an
other, but talking uneasily and seeming
alarmed. And the bishop raised the hand
that held his sword above his head in the
attitude of benediction, saying, Peace be
With your
Now, most of them knew him by his face,
and all knew him as soon comrade
whispered bis name; and they sprang to
their feet uncovering their heads and bow
ing. And he said:
"Where IS your master, the count?"
"The count is upstairs, my lord" they
answered You cannot see him now"
NAY, but / will see him." said the bishop.
I'VE are ordered to let no one pass said
they, and although their manner was full
of respec. they spread themselves across
the hall and thus barred the way to the
staircase that rose in a corner of the hall.
But the bishop faced them in great anger,
crying:
"Do you think 1 do not know what has
been done? Are you all then parties in
this treachery? Do you all want to swing
from the turrets of the castle when the
king comes with a thousand men from
Strelsau?"
At this they looked at him and at one
another with great uneasiness, :or they
lr,,A tl,n lily h,d
he was reused and that he loved his sister
above everybody in the world. And the
bishop stepped up close to their rank.
Then one of them drew his sword half
way from it's scabbard. But the bishop,
perceiving this. cried:
And do you all do violence to a lady,
and dare 10 lay hands on the kings sister?
Aye. and here is a fellow that woulI strike
a bishop of Gods church," And he caught
the fellow a buffet with the fiat of his
sword that knocked him down. Let ne
pass, you rogues." said the bishop. DO
you think you can stop HentZau?"
Let us go and tell the count that my
lord the bishop is here, cried the house
steward, thinking that he had found
way out of the difficulty, for they dared
neither to touch the bishop nor yet to let
him throughi and the steward turned to
run toward the staircase. But the bishop
sprang after him, quick as an arrow, and
caught him by the shoulder and hurled
him back. Il want no announcing he
said The church is free to enter every
where"
And he burst through them at the point
| of the sword, reckless now what might
| befall him so that he made his way
through But they did not venture to cut
| him down. for they knew that nothing
| but death would stop him. and for their
| very souls sakes they dared not kill him.
| So he, kicking ore and pushing another
and laying about him with the fat of his
| sword ana with his free hand, ana re-
|