“Cry for mercy or I make you swallow my besom!”
And he rubbed and scrubbed him without ceasing, to the great pleasure and joy of the spectators, and still said:
“Cry for mercy or I make you eat it!”
But Riesencraft could not cry, for he was dead of black rage.
“God have thy soul, poor madman!” said Ulenspiegel.
And he went away, plunged in melancholy.
XIV
It was then the end of October. The prince lacked money; his army was hungry. The soldiers were murmuring; he marched in the direction of France and offered battle to the duke, who declined it.
Leaving Quesnoy-le-Comte to go towards Cambrésis, he met ten companies of Germans, eight ensigns of Spaniards, and three cornets of light horse, commanded by Don Ruffele Henricis, the duke’s son, who was in the middle of the line, and cried in Spanish: