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

tempt reply to what all knew was the
truth. The barren, 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 secondf''
''There will be no second, said Sieg-
fried. stepping forward. eve must
sack the monastery and hang the abbot
and his craven monks in their own
cords. -
"Good'' cried the baron, nodding
his head in approval 1.-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 Siegfried?''
The knights were silent. They knew
the monastery was as impregnable as
the castIe-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 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:
1--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
believers in the church and its power
The trustful monks know that it has
been launched against u.s. therefore are
they doubtless waiting for US to come
to the monastery and lay our necks IN
der the feet of their abbot, begging his
clemepcy. They are ready to believe
any story we care to tell as to the in
Huence Of such scribbling over Us.
You, Siegfried, owe me some reparation
for this morning. temporary detection,
and to you therefore do trust the car
rying out of my plans.
''There was always something of the
monk about you. Siegfried, and you will
yet end your days SIMULTANEOUSLY in a
monastery unless you are first hanged
at Traves or knocked in the head dur
ing an assault. Draw, then, your lon
gest face and think of the time when
you will be a monk, as Ambrose is, who
in his time drew as much blood as ever
you have done. Go to the monastery of
Monnonstein in most detected fashion
and unarmed. Ask in faltering tones |
speech of the abbot and say to him as
if he knew naught of it that the pope's |
ban is on us. Say that at first defed |
1t and smote down the good father who |
was reading it, but add that as the !
pious man fell a sickness like unto a |
pestilence came over me and over my |
men, from which you only are free,
caused, you suspect, by your loudly |
protesting against the telling of the |
monk. Say that we lie at Deaths door.
grieving for our sins and groaning for
absolutlCD. Say that we are ready to
deliver up the castle and all its con-
tents to the care of the holy church so
that the abbot but sees our tortured
souls safely directed toward the gates
Of paradise. Insist that all the monks
come, saying that you fear we have but
few moments to live and that the abbot
alone would be as helpless as one sur
geon on a battlefield. Taunt them with
fear of the pestilence if they hesitate.
and that will bring Them
Siegfried accepted the commission,
and the knights warmly expressed their
ion of their masters genius AS
the great red sun began to sink behind
the westward hills that border the
Rhine Siegfried departed on horseback
through the castle gates and journeyed
toward the monastery with bowed head
and detected mien. The gates remained
open, and as darkness fell lighted
.orch was thrust in a wrought iron re-
,eptacle near the entrance at the out
'ide, throwing a fitful, Pickering glare
near the archway and into the deserted
court. Within all was silent as the
'uined castle is today, save only the
linking sound of the clear waters of
he effervescing spring as it flowed
,ver the stones and trickled down to
disappear under the walls at one corner
If the courtyard. The baron and his
sturdy knights sat in the darkness, with
q F: l.,