To this end the Emperor Rudolf had early sent to summon all of the barons and the lesser nobles of the land to come to his help against the rebel counts Ulric and Eberhard of Würtemberg, who had joined with King Ottakar of Bohemia to defy the new ruler. The head of the Swartzburg had been summoned, with the others, but, filled with contempt for “the poor Swiss count,” as he dubbed the emperor, had defied him, and tore up the summons before the eyes of the herald who brought it.
Nevertheless, in spite of the refusal of nearly all the nobles to aid their emperor, the latter had, with his own men, gone against the two rebel counts and their kingly ally, and had beaten their armies and brought them to sue for peace. Now he was turning his attention to the larger task of putting fear of the law and of rightful authority into the hearts of the robber nobles.
Of these a goodly number were already declared outlaws, and now the baron’s turn had come. Moreover, one of the men of the Swartzburg, who had ridden beyond the mountains on a matter for the Herr Banf, had ridden back with word that the emperor, with a strong army, was already out against the outlawed strongholds, and meant soon to call at the Swartzburg.
“And a warm welcome shall we give this new emperor of ours,” boasted Conradt, on the castle terrace. “Emperor, forsooth! By the rood! Count Rudolf will have need of all his Swiss rabble if he would bring the Swartzburg’s men to knee before him!”
A chorus of assent greeted this speech. For once his hearers listened respectfully to the baron’s nephew. Right eager were all the young men for the fray that was threatening; and so great was their contempt for the emperor that they could see for it but one outcome.
“But that his Austrians were in revolt and his army divided,” declared one, “King Ottakar had never yielded to the Swiss. He of Hapsburg will find it a harder matter to yoke the German barons.” And all his hearers nodded assent to the bragging speech.
What Baron Everhardt, at council with his knights, thought of the outlook, not even Conradt, among those on the terrace, rightly knew; but a few hours later, by orders sent out through the stewards and the masters of arms and horse, the routine of the castle was being put upon a war footing, to the joy of the eager young men. All were busy, each at his own line of duty, in the work of preparation for battle, and, to Wulf’s delight, it fell to his lot to fare down the valley to the forge on an errand for Herr Werner, whose man he was.
It was a matter of some weeks since Wulf had seen Karl, and glad was he now to be going to him; for in his own mind he was sore perplexed in this matter of the new emperor’s proclamation of the baron, and he longed for the armorer’s wise and honest thought about it all.
“Thou hast seen this emperor of ours?” he said, as he sat curled, after his childish wont, in the doorway of the smithy, whence he could look, at will, within at the forge, or without adown a long green aisle of the forest.
“Ay,” said Karl, proudly; “his own man-at-arms was I, as thou knowest, and that was on the holy war. Served him have I, and gripped his hand—the hand of an honest man and a sore needed one in this land to-day.”