uld not be allowed to leave without a passport. Kohlhaas
turned around and inquired of the Squire whether this statement, which
meant the ruin of his whole trade, were indeed correct. The Squire, as
he went off, answered with an embarrassed air, "Yes, Kohlhaas, you
must get a passport. Speak to the castellan about it, and go your
way." Kohlhaas assured him that he had not the least intention of
evading the ordinances which might be in force concerning the
exportation of horses. He promised that when he went through Dresden
he would take out the passport at the chancery, and begged to be
allowed to go on, this time, as he had known nothing whatever about
this requirement. "Well!" said the Squire, as the storm at that moment
began to rage again and the wind blustered about his scrawny legs;
"let the wretch go. Come!" he added to the young knights, and, turning
around, started toward the door. The castellan, facing about toward
the Squire, said that Kohlhaas must at least leave behind some pledge
as security that he would obtain the passport. The Squire stopped
again under the castle gate. Kohlhaas asked how much security for the
black horses in money or in articles of value he would be expected to
leave. The steward muttered in his beard that he might just as well
leave the blacks themselves.

"To be sure," said the castellan; "that is the best plan; as soon as
he has taken out the passport he can come and get them again at any
time." Kohlhaas, amazed at such a shameless demand, told the Squire,
who was holding the skirts of his doublet about him for warmth, that
what he wanted to do was to sell the blacks; but as a gust of wind
just then blew a torrent of rain and hail through the gate, the
Squire, in order to put an end to the matter, called out, "If he won't
give up the horses, throw him back again over the toll-bar;" and with
that he went off.

The horse-dealer, who saw clearly that on this occasion he would have
to yield to superior force, made up his mind to comply with the
demand, since there really was no other way out of it. He unhitched
the black horses and led them into a stable which the castellan
pointed out to him. He left a groom in charge of them, provided him
with money, warned him to take good care of the horses until he came
back, and with the rest of the string continued his journey to
Leipzig, where he purposed to go to the fair. As he rode along he
wondered, in half uncertainty, whether after all s