The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-04-17

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timbers of the roof.
'"Thn.' he cried, twill never do
while one stone of Winneburg stands
upon anotheri"
At this those present, always with
the exception of the knight of Ehren-
burg, sprang to their feet, shouting:
Imperial troops or no, we stand by
the Count of Winneburg!'
Some one flashed forth sword, and
instantly glitter Of blades was. in the
air, and cheer after cheer rang to the
rafters. When the uproar had some
what subsidized, the knight of Ehren-
burg said calmly:
'My castle stands nearest to the cap
ital and will be the first to fall, but
nevertheless hoping to do my shouting
when the war is ended, Il join my
forces with those of the rest of you.''
And amid this unanimity and much
emptying of hagons the assemblage
dissolved, each man with his escort
taking his way to his own stronghold,
to con more soberly perhaps the next
day the problem that confronted them.
They were fighters all and would not
finch when the pinch came, whatever
was the outcome.
Day followed day, with no sign from
Treves. Winneburg employed the time
in setting his house in order, to be
ready for whatever CHANGED, and just
as the count was beginning to congrat-
ulate himself that his deed was to be
without consequences there rode up to
his castle gates horseman, accom-
panied by two lancers, and on the new
comer's breast was emblazoned the i'm
perial arms. Giving voice to his horn,
the gates were at once thrown open to
him, and entering, he demanded in
slant speech with the count.
.sMy lord. Count Winneburg," he
said when that giant had presented
himself, s'his majesty the emperor COM
mands me to summon you to the court
at Frankfort"
s'Do you take me as prisoner, them"
asked the count.
Nothing was said to me Of arrest.
was merely commissioned to deliver
to you the message of the emperor"
"What are your orders if I refuse to
go?"
hundred armed men stood behind
the count. A thousand more were
within call Of the castle bell. Two
lances only were at the back Of the
messenger, but the strength Of the
empire was betokened by the symbol
on his breast. "Ny orders are 20 take
back your answer to his imperial maj
esty," replied the messenger calmly.
The count, though hot headed, was no
fool, and he stood for moment pom
dering on the words which the knight
of Ehrenburg had spoken on taking
his leave:
ssLet not the crafty archbishop en-
| broil you with the emperor"
This warning had been the cautious
warriors parting advice to him.
eff you will honor my humble roof
said the count slowly, .by taking re-
freshment under it shall be glad of
your company afterward to Frankfort
in obedience to. his majesty's COM
mands."
| The messenger bowed low, accepted
the hospitality. and together they
made way across the Moselle and
along the Roman road to the capital.
| Within the walls of Frankfort the
count was lodged in rooms near the
| palace, to which his conductor guided
| him, and, although it was still held
| that he was not a prisoner, an armed
man paced to and fro before his door
all night. The day following his ar
rival Count Winneburg was summoned
to the court and in large anteroom
found himself one of a numerous
throng, conspicuous among them all
1 by reason of his great height and bulk.
The huge hall was hung with tapestry
1 and at the farther end We're great cur
tains, at each edge of which stood
| half dozen armored men, the detach-
ments being under command of two
/ gayly uniformed officers. Occasional
| ly the curtains were parted by menials.
who stood there to perform that duty,
and high mobiles entered or came out
singly and in groups. sDown the sides
of the hall were packed some hun
dreds of people, chattering together
| for the most part and gazing at those
who passed up and down the open
space in the center
1 The count surmsed that the en-
| peror held his court in whatever apart
ment was behind the crimson curtains.
He felt the eyes of the multitude upon
him and shifted uneasily from one foot
to another, cursing his ungainliness,
ashamed Of the tingling of the blood
IN his cheeks. He was out of place in
this laughing, talking crowd. expert
encing the sensations of an uncouth
rustic suddenly thrust into the tur-
moil of metropolis, resenting bitterly
the supposed sneers that were flung at
him. He suspected that the whisper
ing and the giggling were directed to-
ward himself and burned to draw his
sword and let these popinjays know
for once what a man could do. AS
matter of fact, 1t was buzz Of adj
miration at his stature which went
up when he entered, but the count had
so little of self conceit in his soul that
he never even guessed the truth Two