Now that she had seen the lovely Queen and knew that the Emperor had vowed to capture her, she could almost see the old Kaiser Barbarossa rising from his sleep. His sword was flashing, his eyes were like fire, and she knew that he would kill the monster, Napoleon, and save the lovely Louisa.
"Do you think," asked Minna, suddenly, "that the Queen will escape?"
The women looked gloomy and shrugged their shoulders.
"The Emperor does what he wills," said black-eyed Emma.
"Ja wohl," agreed Magdalena. Then she shook her head wisely. "I say this, women, poor as we are to-day, it is better to be wood gatherers of Thuringia than the Queen of Prussia."
"Ja wohl," they all said, "much better."
CHAPTER III
AT JENA
When old Hans left Bettina and the women he followed the highway until he came to a path leading to a red-roofed farm house belonging to his cousin.