ide.
Likewise hard by there stood a hand-barrow, full of such wine-jars, and
we breathed more freely, for if the drunken rogue were not himself one
of the highway gang, they must have found him there and seized the good
liquor.

Now, while Kubbeling fetched water from the pool, Uncle Christian tried
the quality of the jars in the barrow, and the first he opened was fine
Malvoisie. Whether this were going to the Convent or no the drunken
churl should tell, and a stream of cold November-water ere long brought
him to his wits. Then was there much mirth, as the rogue thus waked on
a sudden from his sleep let the water drip off him in dull astonishment,
and stared at us open-mouthed; and it needed some patience till he was
able to tell us of many matters which we afterwards heard at greater
length and in fuller detail.

He was a serving-man to Master Rummel of Nuremberg, who had been
sent forth from Lichtenau to carry this good liquor to the nuns at
Pillenreuth; the market-town of Lichtenau lieth beyond Schwabach and had
of yore belonged to the Knight of Heideck, who had sold it to that city,
of which the Rummels, who were an old and honored family, had bought it,
with the castle.

Now, whereas yestereve the Knight of Heideck, the former owner of the
castle, a noble of staunch honor, was sitting at supper with Master
Rummel in the fortress of Lichtenau, a rider from Pillenreuth had come
in with a petition from the Abbess for aid against certain robber folk
who had carried away some cattle pertaining to the convent. Hereupon
the gentlemen made ready to go and succor the sisters, and with wise
foresight they sent a barrow-load of good wine to Pillenreuth, to await
them there, inasmuch as that no good liquor was to be found with the
pious sisters. When the gentlemen had, this very morning, come to the
place where the highwaymen had fallen on Eppelein, they had met Ann
who was known to them at the Forest lodge, where she was in the act of
making search for Herdegen's letter, and they, in their spurred boots,
had helped her. At last they had besought her to go with them to the
Convent, by reason that the men-at-arms of Lichtenau had yesternight
gone forth to meet the thieves, and by this time peradventure had caught
them and found the letter on them. Ann had consented to follow this
gracious bidding, if only she might give tidings of where she would
be to those her friends who would for certain come in search of her.
Thereupo