The Banished Part 30

"That's him with the white and blue scarf," said the fifer; "that's his long hair, and his seat on horseback. Oh, precious youth, welcome back to Wurtemberg! He observes your advanced post, and rides towards it; only look how the fellows present their lances and spread out their legs!"

"Yes, yes, the lansquenet knows the arts of war; no one dare pa.s.s the spot where the commanders are, without knowing his business," said the general.

"Stop! they are calling to him; he speaks to them; they point this way; he comes!" cried the fifer, who came down from the tree with a joyful countenance.

"_Diavolo maledetto! ba.s.sam terendete!_ They won't let him ride alone, I hope? Ah! I see one of them has hold of his bridle 1 How? It is really a knight that comes!

"A n.o.bleman as good as any in the empire," answered the fifer; "the friend and favourite of the Duke." Upon hearing this they all stood up, for, though they fancied themselves men of importance and rank, they were aware of their being only lansquenets, and bound to pay proper respect to their superiors. The general seated himself again, with an air of gravity, at the foot of the oak--stroked his beard to make it s.h.i.+ne--arranged his hat with the c.o.c.k's feathers properly--supported his hand on his enormous sword--and in this manner awaited the arrival of the stranger.

END OF VOL. II.

J. B. Nichols and Son, 25, Parliament-street.

THE BANISHED.

VOL. III.

LONDON: PRINTED BY J. B. NICHOLS AND SON, 25, PARLIAMENT STREET.

THE BANISHED:

A

SWABIAN HISTORICAL TALE.

EDITED BY

JAMES MORIER, ESQ.

AUTHOR OF HAJJI BABA, &c.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1839.

THE BANISHED.

CHAPTER XXVI.

The Duke at length is coming, The battle field's not far; For vanquish'd is the foeman, And he brings the spoils of war.

G. SCHWAB.

A knight in armour, his horse being led between two of the lansquenet from the outpost, now approached the place where Long Peter, their general, and the other men, were a.s.sembled. Though he had drawn the vizor of his s.h.i.+ning helmet over his face, the fifer of Hardt thought he recognised him as the man he expected, by the plates and cuish of steel which encased his muscular limbs, the plumes which waved high in the breeze, and the well known scarf which crossed over his coat of mail. And he was not mistaken, for one of the men who led his horse advanced to the General, and acquainted him that the n.o.ble "Knight of Sturmfeder" wished to speak to the leaders of the lansquenet.

Long Peter answered in the name of the rest, "tell him he is welcome, and that Peter Hunzinger the General, Staberl of Vienna, Conrad the Magdeburger, Balthaser Loffler, and the brave Muckerle, all well appointed Captains, are ready to receive and hear him. May my soul be punished, but he has a beautiful suit of armour, and an helmet fit for King Francis; and as to his steed, I have never seen a finer--_Morbleu_, how well he stands on his four legs!"

The men kept at a respectful distance from the stranger, who now approached, but shewed no inclination to dismount. Raising his vizor, he spoke to one of the men, and discovered his handsome friendly countenance. "Is not that Hans, the musician?" said he, to the men. "I have a word to say to him first."

The general made a sign to the fifer to approach the young knight, who immediately dismounted from his horse. "Welcome in Wurtemberg, n.o.ble sir," said the man of Hardt, and returned a hearty shake of Albert von Sturmfeder's hand: "what news do you bring? The Duke's cause prospers, if I can judge from the expression of your countenance."

"Come on one side," he replied, in anxious haste. "How fares it in Lichtenstein? Have you a letter or a couple of lines for me? O give it quickly!"

The fifer smiled at the impatience of the lovesick youth; "I have neither letter nor line. The lady is well, and the old knight also; that is all I know."

"How!" replied the other, "nothing, not even a message? I am sure she did not let you depart without something for me!"

"When I took my leave of the lady the day before yesterday, she said, 'Tell him to hasten the entrance into Stuttgardt;' and when she spoke, became as red in the face as you are at present."

"We'll soon be there, with G.o.d's will!" he answered. "But how has she pa.s.sed the long summer? I have only heard from her three times since we parted. Were you often in Lichtenstein, Hans?"

"Dear sir," answered the fifer, "have patience, and I will relate every thing, in length and breadth, on the march: for the present, be satisfied with the a.s.surance, that so soon as the old knight hears you are advancing to Stuttgardt, he will set out from Lichtenstein with your bride, for he does not doubt of your overpowering the garrison.

Have you succeeded in taking Heimsheim?"