," replied the latter, with a smile, "except to beg that you
will not forget your usual caution if you come to a hand-to-hand
scuffle. Good luck to you!" He stretched out his hand. Anton grasped it,
and hurried to the court.

"The enemy are passing their opinion upon your farming just now," said
Fink to the baron; "we shall have the gentlemen here in a few minutes;
there they come, cavalry and infantry. They stop at the barn; a party of
riders advance; it is the staff. There are some handsome young fellows
among them, and a couple of beautiful horses; they ride beyond the range
of our fire, all round the castle. They are seeking an entrance; we
shall soon hear the knocker at the back door."

All was silent. "Strange," said Fink. "It is surely the custom of war,
before the assault, to summon the besieged to surrender; but there come
the officers from their circuit round the castle back to their infantry.
Has Wohlfart inspired them with such terror that they have fled away
<i>ventre a terre</i>?"

The ring of horses' hoofs and the hollow march of the infantry were now
heard.

"Zounds!" said Fink; "the whole corps marches as if on parade up to the
castle front. If they mean to storm your fortress on this side, they
have the most remarkable conceptions of the nature of a strong place.
They draw up against us at a distance of five hundred yards. The
infantry in the middle, the horsemen at both sides: quite a Roman order
of battle. Julius Caesar over again, I declare. Look! they have a
drummer; the fellow advances; the row you hear is the beat of drums. Ah
ha! the leader rides forward. He comes on, and halts just before our
door. Politeness demands that we should inquire what he wants." Fink
pushed back the heavy bolts of the door; it opened; he stepped out on
the threshold covering the entrance, and carrying his double-barrel
carelessly in his hand. When the horseman saw the slender figure in
hunting costume standing so quietly before him, he reined in his horse
and touched his hat, which Fink acknowledged by a slight bow.

"I wish to speak to the proprietor of this estate," said the horseman.

"You must put up with me," replied Fink; "I represent him."

"Tell him, then, that we have some orders of the government to carry out
in his house," cried the rider.

"Would your chivalry permit me to ask what government has been frivolous
enough to give you a message for the Baron Rothsattel? From what I hear,
the views take