“Do you know among these catchpolls one or two that might be let go to serve us?”
“Two,” said they, “Niklaes and Joos, who never hunted down the poor Reformed folk.”
“We are faithful!” said Niklaes and Joos.
Then Ulenspiegel said:
“Here are twenty florins carolus for you, twice more than you would have had if ye had taken the vile reward of the informer.”
Suddenly the five others exclaimed:
“Twenty florins! We will serve the prince for twenty florins. The king pays ill. Give each of us the half; we will tell the judge whatever you wish.”
The butchers and Lamme murmured low:
“’Tis van te beven de klinkaert; ’tis van te beven de klinkaert.”
“So that ye may not talk too much,” said Ulenspiegel, “the seven will bring you bound as far as Peteghem, to the Beggars. Ye shall have ten florins when ye are on the sea; we shall be certain till then that the camp victual will keep you faithful to bread and soup. If ye are valiant men, ye shall have your share in the booty taken. If ye try to desert, ye shall be hanged. If ye escape, thus avoiding the rope, ye shall find the knife.”