s, and the utility of
bleeding them, and both, measuring each other with their looks, entered
the hall.

The squire, as it happened, was drinking with some boon companions, and
they all burst out into a ceaseless fit of laughter at some jest, when
Kohlhaas approached to state his grievance. The squire asked him what
he wanted, while the knights, eyeing the stranger, remained still; yet
hardly had he begun his request concerning the horses, than the whole
company cried out--"Horses! where are they?" and ran to the window to
see them. No sooner had they set eyes on the sleek lot than, on the
motion of the squire, down they flew into the court-yard. The rain had
ceased; castellan, bailiff and servants, were collected around, and all
surveyed the animals. One praised the sorrel with the white spot on
his forehead, another liked the chesnut, a third patted the dappled one
with tawney spots, and agreed that the horses were like so many stags,
and that none better could be reared in the country. Kohlhaas, in high
spirits, replied that the horses were no better than the knights who
should ride them, and asked them to make a purchase. The squire, who
was greatly taken with the strong sorrel stallion, asked the price,
while the bailiff pressed him to buy a pair of blacks which he thought
might be usefully employed on the estate; but when the horse-dealer
named his terms, the knights found them too high, and the squire said
that he might ride to the round table and find King Arthur if he fixed
such prices as these. Kohlhaas, who saw the castellan and the bailiff
whisper together, as they cast most significant glances on the blacks,
left nothing undone, actuated as he was by some dark foreboding, to
make them take the horses.

"See sir," he said to the squire, "I bought the blacks for
five-and-twenty gold crowns, six months ago. Give me thirty and they
are yours."

Two of the knights, who stood near the squire, said plainly enough that
the horses were well worth the money; but the squire thought that he
might buy the sorrel, while he objected to take the blacks, and made
preparations to depart, when Kohlhaas, saying that they would conclude
a bargain the next time he went that way with his horses, bade farewell
to the squire, and took his horse's bridle to ride off. At this moment
the castellan stepped forward from the rest, and said that he had told
him he could not travel without a passport. Kohlhaas, turning round,