“We don’t need to be acquainted with it,” said Greusel. “We steer westward by glancing at the sun now and then, and cannot go astray, because we must come to the Rhine; then it’s either up or down the river, as the case may be, to reach Assmannshausen.”
“To the Rhine! To the Rhine!” was now the universal cry.
“Before we begin our journey,” said Greusel, as if he accepted the leadership with reluctance, “I must have your promise that you will obey me without question. I am not so patient a man as Roland, but on my part I guarantee you an excellent meal and good wine as soon as we reach Assmannshausen.”
“How can you promise that,” growled Kurzbold, “when you have given away your money?”
“Because, as I told you, I expect to meet Roland there.”
“But he threw away his bag.”
“Yes; I told him it was a foolish thing to do, and perhaps that is why he left without saying a word, even to me. He is an ingenious man. Assmannshausen is familiar to him, and I dare say he would not have discarded his money without knowing where to get more.”
“To the Rhine! To the Rhine! To the Rhine!” cried the impatient host, gathering up their cloaks, and tightening their belts, as the savage does when he is hungry.
“To the Rhine, then,” said Greusel, springing across the little stream in company with Ebearhard.
“You did that very well, Greusel,” complimented the latter.