"Can I speak with the overseer of your community?" asked the Captain. "Do not be alarmed," he went on to say in a friendly voice, seeing that they had become pale with terror, "no harm will happen to the Jewish community; we know that you are well affected to the Emperor and cleave to your Imperial master with firm unchangeable fidelity, ... but unknown to yourselves, an apostate from your faith, an outlaw, an enemy of the Emperor and Empire, the Mannsfieldian General Otto Bitter has been living for the last few days among you in the Jews-town. He did not escape with the Palatine.--We have every reason for believing that he is here in your town. He is Mannsfield's right hand-man and acquainted with all his plans.... I beseech you, make every effort to deliver him alive into our hands."
"That is impossible," answered the chief overseer after a short pause. "He whom ye seek, by God's wonderful dispensation died this day about midnight full of repentance in the arms of his recovered father. We were just about to lay him in the grave: if it pleases you, Sir Captain! will you not go with us to the burial ground.... to convince yourself that Otto Bitter will never again fight against his Imperial master.... you know him by sight?"
"Of course I do? was I not standing by yesterday, when the most accomplished knight of our army. Count Pappenheim, fell badly wounded by his sword...."
On the short way to the burial ground the chief overseer recounted the history of Gabriel's storm tossed life to the Captain, and the strange events that had suddenly rent the mysterious veil that enveloped it....
The two corpses still locked in a fast embrace lay upon the same bier. It was a most striking sight. The two officers uncovered their heads.--The Captain cast a scrutinizing look over Gabriel's body. "There is no doubt, it is he," he said; then drew a paper out of his breast pocket, which he carefully read over and once more from time to time examined the body with the greatest attention....
"I have said so," he repeated, "there is no doubt, the dead man is Otto Bitter...."
"What are your orders with respect to the corpse?" asked the younger officer, "shall it be transported to the castle that the duke...."
"We fight with the living alone, the dead no more belongs to this world," answered the Captain earnestly. "Otto Bitter was a rebel, an enemy of the Emperor and Empire.... but he was a gallant hero.... May God pardon his sins.... overseer! Give me the letters found upon him, and lay your dead in the grave!"