father's trusted servant, and am the only one excepting his own
blood and kin who has clung to him in this hour of trouble. Yes,
all are gone but me alone, and so I have come to help thee away
from this vile place."

"Oh, dear, good Hans! if only thou canst!" cried Otto; "if only
thou canst take me away from this wicked place. Alas, dear Hans!
I am weary and sick to death." And poor little Otto began to
weep silently in the darkness.

"Aye, aye," said Hans, gruffly, "it is no place for a little
child to be. Canst thou climb, my little master? canst thou
climb a knotted rope?"

"Nay," said Otto, "I can never climb again! See, Hans;" and he
flung back the covers from off him.

"I cannot see," said Hans, "it is too dark."

"Then feel, dear Hans," said Otto.

Hans bent over the poor little white figure glimmering palely in the darkness. Suddenly he drew back with a snarl like an angry wolf. "Oh! the black, bloody wretches!" he cried, hoarsely; "and have they done that to thee, a little child?"

"Yes," said Otto, "the Baron Henry did it." And then again he began to cry.

"There, there," said Hans, roughly, "weep no more. Thou shalt get away from here even if thou canst not climb; I myself will help thee. Thy father is already waiting below the window here, and thou shalt soon be with him. There, there, cry no more."

While he was speaking Hans had stripped off his peddler's
leathern jacket, and there, around his body, was wrapped coil
after coil of stout hempen rope tied in knots at short