will if you come and fetch me!" And my horse carried me off and away,
through the open gate.

The gentlemen tore after me, and if I had so desired they would never
have caught me till the day of judgment, inasmuch as that my Hungarian
palfrey, which my Hans had brought for me from the stables of Count von
Cilly, the father of Queen Barbara, was far swifter than their heavy
hook-nosed steeds; yet as I asked no better than to seek Ann in all peace
with them, and as my uncle was a mild and wise man, who would not take
the jest he could not now spoil over seriously, I suffered them to gain
upon me and we concluded a bargain to the effect that all was to be
forgotten and forgiven, but that I was pledged to turn the bay and make
the best of my way home at the first sign of danger. And if the
gentlemen had come to the stables in a gloomy mood and much fear, the
wild chase after me had recovered their high spirits; and, albeit my own
heart beat sadly enough, I did my best to keep of good cheer, and verily
the sight of Kubbeling helped to that end. He was to show us the way to
the spot where he had found Eppelem, and was now squatted on a very big
black horse, from which his little legs, with their strange gear of
catskins, stuck out after a fashion wondrous to behold. After we had
thus gone at a steady pace for some little space, my confidence began to
fail once more; even if Ann and her companion had been somewhat delayed
by their search, still ought we to have met them by this time, if they
had gone to the place without tarrying, and set forth to return
unhindered. And when, presently, we came to an open plot whence we might
see a long piece of the forest path, and yet saw nought but a little
charcoal burner's cart, meseemed as though a cold hand had been laid on
my heart. Again and again I spied the distance, while a whole army of
thoughts and terrors tossed my soul. I pictured them in the power of the
vengeful Eber von Wichsenstein and his fierce robber fellows; methought