“Saints protect us!” shouted the Red Margrave, crossing himself, and turning to the west, where now both hearing and sight indicated that a furnace was roaring. The whole western sky was aglow, and although the flames could not be seen for the intervening cliff, every one knew there was no other dwelling that could cause such an illumination.
Spurring his horse, and calling his men to come on, the nobleman dashed up the steep acclivity, and when the last man had departed, Roland, followed by his two lieutenants, stepped from the forest to the right down upon the rocky plateau.
XIII. “A SENTENCE; COME, PREPARE!”
“Captain,” said Roland quietly, “bring your crew ashore, and fling these bales on board again as quickly as you can.”
An instant later the sailors were at work, undoing their former efforts.
“In mercy’s name, Roland,” wailed one of the stricken, “get a sword and cut our bonds.”
“All in good time,” replied Roland. “The bales are more valuable to me than you are, and we have two barrels of gold at the foot of the cliff to bring in, if they haven’t sunk in the Rhine. Greusel, do you and Ebearhard take two of the crew, launch the small boat, and rescue the barrels if you can find them.”
“Mercy on us, Roland! Mercy!” moaned his former comrades.