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 Wuertemberg, noble
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 God's will!" he answered. "But how has she
passed 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 assurance, 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?"

"We have: I rode through the gates with twelve horsemen, before they
were aware of our coming. Though the garrison were somewhat stronger
than us, they were dispirited and dissatisfied. I treated with them in
the Duke's name, and made them believe that he was coming up with a
large body of troops, upon which they surrendered: thus far are we in
Wuertemberg. But in what state is the road before us?"

"Open, into the heart of the country, open. I have important new