of justice and of right, and a determination to put down the
lawlessness of the savage German barons among whom he had come
as Emperor.

One day two strangers came galloping up the winding path to the
gates of the Dragon's house. A horn sounded thin and clear, a
parley was held across the chasm in the road between the two
strangers and the porter who appeared at the little wicket. Then
a messenger was sent running to the Baron, who presently came
striding across the open court-yard to the gateway to parley
with the strangers.

The two bore with them a folded parchment with a great red seal
hanging from it like a clot of blood; it was a message from the
Emperor demanding that the Baron should come to the Imperial
Court to answer certain charges that had been brought against
him, and to give his bond to maintain the peace of the empire.

One by one those barons who had been carrying on their private
wars, or had been despoiling the burgher folk in their traffic
from town to town, and against whom complaint had been lodged,
were summoned to the Imperial Court, where they were compelled
to promise peace and to swear allegiance to the new order of
things. All those who came willingly were allowed to return home
again after giving security for maintaining the peace; all those
who came not willingly were either brought in chains or rooted
out of their strongholds with fire and sword, and their roofs
burned over their heads.

Now it was Baron Conrad's turn to be summoned to the Imperial