The artist laughed, but the soldier, slapping his thigh with his sound
hand, cried:

"In with the boy, you fellows outside; here, put him on my right--move
farther apart, you gentlemen down below; the water will do us no harm,
if you'll only give us some of the wine in your basket yonder."

The priests, willy-nilly, now permitted Ulrich to be laid on the leathern
sack between them, and while first Sutor, and then Stubenrauch, shrunk
away to mutter prayers over a rosary for the senseless lad's restoration
to consciousness, and to avoid coming in contact with his wet clothes,
the artist entered the vehicle, and without asking permission, took the
wine from the priests' basket. The soldier helped him, and soon their
united exertions, with the fiery liquor, revived the fainting boy.

Moor rode forward, and the wagon jolted on until the day's journey ended
at Emmendingen. Count von Hochburg's retainers, who were to serve as
escort from this point, would not ride on Christmas day. The artist made
no objection, but when they also declared that no horse should leave the
stable on the morrow, which was a second holiday, he shrugged his
shoulders and answered, without any show of anger, but in a firm, haughty
tone, that he should then probably be obliged--if necessary with their
master's assistance,--to conduct them to Freiburg to-morrow.

The inns at Emmendingen were among the largest and best in the
neighborhood of Freiburg, and on account of the changes of escort, which
frequently took place here, there was no lack of accommodation for
numerous horses and guests.

As soon as Ulrich was taken into the warm hostelry he fainted a second