El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-17

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INJURED 3'Amen - the word echoing bach
to them in the stiffness from the -four
gray walls
Then the silence was rudely broken
by the ponderous clang of the closing
gates and the ominous rattle of bolts
being thrust into their places and the
jingle of heavy chains. Down the wide
stairs from the Ritter -saaIe came the
clank of armor and rude shouts OF
laughter. Newly lighted torches fared
up here and there, illuminating the
courtyard and showing, dangling
against the northern wall, a score of
ropes, with nooses at the end of each.
Into the courtyard clattered the baron
and his followers. The abbot stood,
with arms folded. pressing a gilded
cross against his breast He was head
taller than any of his frightened, cow
ering brethren, and his noble, emaciat-
ed face was thin with fasting, caused
by his never ending conflict with the
world that was within himself. His
pale countenance betokened his Office
and the church. But the angry, eagle
flash of his piercing eye spoke of the
world alone and the field of conflict.
The baron bowed low to the abbot and
humble domicile. 1t has long been the
wish of my enemies to stand within it's
walls, and this pleasure is now granted
you. There is little to be maze Of it
from without.
"Baron Grunewald," said the abbot,
81 and my brethren are come hither on
an errand of mercy and under the pro-
lection of your knightly word" The
L., oh
at this. and. turning to Siegfried, he
said in angry tones:
'Is it so? Pledged you my word for
the safety of these men?''
'The reverend abbot is mistaken
replied the knight, who had not yet de-
scended from his horse. ''There was no
word of safe conduct between u.s.
''Safe conduct is implied when an
officer of the church is summoned to
administer it's consultations to the dy-
ing said the abbot.
"An trades remarked the baron
suavely, ''have their dangers, yours
among the rest, as we'll as ours. If my
follower had pledged my word regard
ing your safety, 1 would now open the
gates and let you free. AS he has not
done so, shall choose a manner for
your exit more in keeping with your
lofty aspirations.
Saying this, he gave some rapid or
ders. His servitors fell upon the unre-
sisting monks and bound them hand
and foot. They were then conducted to
the northern wall and the nooses there
adjusted round the neck of each. When
this was done, the baron stood back
from the pinioned victims and addressed
them:
cit is not my intention that you
should die without having time to re-
pent of the many wicked deeds you
have doubtless done during your lives.
Your sentence is that We be hanged at
cock crow tomorrow, which was the
hour when, if your teachings cling to
my memory, the first of your craft
turned traitor to his master. If, how
ever, you tire of your all night vigil,
you can at once obtain release by cry
ing at the top of your voices, $50 die all
Christiansp Thus you will hang your
selves and so remove some responsibility
from my perhaps overladen conscience.
The hanging is device of my own, of
which l am perhaps pardonably proud,
and it pleases me that it is to be first
tried on so worthy an assemblage. With |
much labor we have elevated to the |
battlements an oaken tree Topped of its |
branches, which will not burn the less |
brightly next winter in that it has !
helped to commit some of you to hotter |
flames gin all ye say be true. The ropes |
are tied to this log, and at the cry, so !!
die all Christiansi" I have some stout |
knaves in waiting up above with levers |
who will straightway fling the log over |
the battlements on which it is now |
poised, and the instant after your bro |
ken necks will impinge against the inner !
coping of the northern wall. And now,
good night, my lord abbot, and happy |
release for you all in the morning.
Baron Won Grunewald, I ask of you
that you will release one of US, who may
thus administer the rites of the church |
to his brethren and receive in turn the
same from me-
''Now, out upon me for a careless
knavei" cried the baron. 81 had for
gotten that; it is SO long since have
been to mass and suchlike ceremonies |
myself. Your request is surely most |
and 1 like you the better |
that you keep up the farce Of your call
ing to the very end. But think not that |
am SO inhospitable as to force one |
guest to wait upon another, even in
matters spiritual. Not so. We keep
with US ghostly father for such occa-
sions and use him between times to
wait on US with wine and other neces-
saries. AS soon as he has filed our flag
ons 1 will ask good Father Gott1ieb to
wait upon you, and doubt not he will
shrive with any in the land, although
he has been this while back somewhat |
out of practice. His habit is rather tat
tered and stained with the drippings of