The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-07-29

| mailed nor unmarked hand.
But the knight made no motion to
lay bis hand upon his sword. nor did he
move from his place.
"No one doubts your courage, my
lord, " be said. "neither ia it any reflec-
ton on mine that in answer to your
challenge my sword remain in Its scab-
bard. You are our overload, and it is
not meet that our weapons should be
raised against YOU"
~ am glad that point is firmly fixed
in your minds I thought moment
since that would be compelled to up
hold the feudal law at the peril of my
own body. But il that comes not in
question, no more need be said. Touch.
ing the unarmed, Siegfried, if ! remem-
Der Alright, you showed no such squeam-
ishness at our sackipg Of the Convent
Of st. Agnes" ..-.-
"A woman is a different matter, my
lord" said Siegfried uneasily.
The baron laughed, and SO did some
of the knights, evidently relieved to
find the tension of the situation relax
ing
"Comradesr' cried the baron, his
face aglow with enthusiasm, an traces
Of his former temper vanishing from
his brow. "You are excellent in
melee, but useless at the council board
You see no further ahead of you than
your good right arms will strike. Look
round You at these stout walls. No en-
CINE that man has yet devised can bat
ter breach in them. In our wants are
ten years supply Of stolen grain. Our
cellars are full of rich red wine, not Of
our vintage, but for our drinking. Here
in our court bubbles forever this good
spring, excellent to drink when wine
gives out, and medicinal in the MORN
ing, when too much wine has been TAX
en- in" He waved his hand toward the
living, overlooking well. charged with
carbonic acid gas one Of the many
that have since made the region Of the
Rhine famous. "Now ask you, can
this castle of Grunewald ever be taken,
accommodation or no excommunica-
tion2'
A simultaneous shout Of "No, nev.
eri" arose from the knights.
The baron stood looking grimly at
them for several moments Then he said
in quiet voice. Eyes, thu castle Of
Grunewald can be taken. Not from
without. but from within. If any
crafty enemy can SOW dissension among
us, can turn the sword of comrade
against comrade, then falls the castle
Of Grunewald. Today we have seen
how nearly that has been done. We
have now against us in the monastery
of Monnonstein no fat headed abbot, but
one who was warrior before he turned
monk. IT'S but few years since that
the Abbot Ambrose stood at the right
hand Of the emperor as Baron Won
Stern, and it is known that the abbot's
robes are but thin veneer over the
iron knight within. His hand, grasping
the cross, still itches for the sword.
The fighting archbishop of Traves has
sent him to Monnonstein for no other
purpose than to leave behind him the
ruins Of Grunewald, and his first bolt
and for moment stood alone, with
out single man at arms to second NO."
The knights looked at one another in
silence, then cast their eyes to the stone
paved court, all too shamefaced to at
tempt reply to what all knew was the
truth. The baron, deep frown on his
brow, gazed sternly at the chopfallen
group.
"such was the effect Of the first shaft
shot by good Abbot Ambrose. What
will be the result of the second?"
''There will be no second" said Sieg-
fried, stepping forward. "We must
sack the monastery and hang the abbot
and his craven monks in their own
cords"
"GoodW cried the baron, nodding
his head in approval "The worthy
abbot, however, trusts not only in
God, but in walls three cloth yards
thick. The monastery stands by the
river and partly over it. The besieged
monks will therefore not suffer from
thirst. Their larder is as amply provid.
ed as are the vaults of this castle. The
militant abbot understands both defense
and sortie. He is master Of siegecraft
inside or outside stone walls. How,
then, do you propose to sack and hang,
good segfried2"
The knights were silent. They knew
the monastery was as impregnable as
the castle--in fact, it was the only spot
for miles around that had never owned
the sway of Baron Won Grunewald, and
none of them were we'll enough provided
with brains to venture a plan for its
successful reduction. A cynical smile
played round the lips of their overload
as he saw the problem had overmatched
them. At last he spoke:
"We must meet craft with craft. If
the pope's han cast such terror among
my good knights, stepped to the gaunt-
let's in blood, what effect, think you,
will it have over the minds Of devout
in the church and its power9
The trustful monks know that it has
been launched against us; therefore are
hey doubtless waiting for us to come
10 the monastery and lay our necks un-
Ter the feet of their abbot, begging his
,lemency. They are ready to believe
my story we care to tell as to the in.
luence Of such soribbling over us.
You. siegfried, owe me some reparation
or this mornings temporary detection,
md to you therefore do I trust the car
'ying out Of my plans.
"There was always something Of the
monk about you. Siegfried, and you will
yet end your days sancttmoniously in a
monastery unless you are first hanged
1t Traves or knocked in the head dur
ng an assault. Draw, then, your Ion
,est face and think Of the time when
you will be a monk, as Ambrose is. who
n his time drew as much blood as ever
'ou have done. Go to the monastery of
In most detected fashion
md unarmed. Ask In faltsring tones
peech Of the abbot and say to him as
be knew naught Of II that the pope's