faintly in answer. His father kissed him upon either cheek.
"Come, Hans," said he, hastily, "take him hence;" and he loosed
Otto's arms from about his neck.

Hans took Otto upon the saddle in front of him.

"Oh! my dear Lord Baron," said he, and then stopped with a gulp,
and turned his grotesquely twitching face aside.

"Go," said the Baron, harshly, "there is no time to lose in
woman's tears."

"Farewell, Conrad! farewell, Conrad!" said his two kinsmen, and
coming forward they kissed him upon the cheek then they turned
and rode away after Hans, and Baron Conrad was left alone to
face his mortal foe.


XIII.

How Baron Conrad Held the Bridge.

As the last of his followers swept around the curving road and
was lost to sight, Baron Conrad gave himself a shake, as though
to drive away the thoughts that lay upon him. Then he rode
slowly forward to the middle of the bridge, where he wheeled his
horse so as to face his coming enemies. He lowered the vizor of
his helmet and bolted it to its place, and then saw that sword
and dagger were loose in the scabbard and easy to draw when the
need for drawing should arise.