ill disturb you there."

At that moment the moon broke out from a cloud, and showed on a hill
hard by a castle indeed--but the skeleton of a castle. The roof was
gone, the windows were dismantled, the towers were tumbling, and the
cold moonlight pierced it through and through. One end of the building
was, however, still covered in, and stood looking still more frowning,
vast, and gloomy, even than the other part of the edifice.

"There is a lodging, certainly," said Otto to the sentinel, who pointed
towards the castle with his bartizan; "but tell me, good fellow, what
are we to do for a supper?"

"Oh, the castellan of Windeck will entertain you," said the man-at-arms
with a grin, and marched up the embrasure; the while the archers, taking
counsel among themselves, debated whether or not they should take up
their quarters in the gloomy and deserted edifice.

"We shall get nothing but an owl for supper there," said young Otto.
"Marry, lads, let us storm the town; we are thirty gallant fellows, and
I have heard the garrison is not more than three hundred." But the rest
of the party thought such a way of getting supper was not a very cheap
one, and, grovelling knaves, preferred rather to sleep ignobly and
without victuals, than dare the assault with Otto, and die, or conquer
something comfortable.

One and all then made their way towards the castle. They entered its
vast and silent halls, frightening the owls and bats that fled before
them with hideous hootings and flappings of wings, and passing by
a multiplicity of mouldy stairs, dank reeking roofs, and rickety
corridors, at last came to an apartment which, dismal and dismantled as
it was, appeared to be in rather better condition than the neighboring
chambers, and they therefore selected it as their place of rest for the
night. They then tossed up which should mount guard. The first two
hours of watch fell to Otto, who was to be succeeded by his young though
humble friend Wolfgang; and, accordingly, the Childe of Godesberg,
drawing his dirk, began to pace upon his weary round; while his
comrades, by various gradations of snoring, told how profoundly they
slept, spite of their lack of supper.

'Tis needless to say what were the thoughts of the noble Childe as he
performed his two hours' watch; what gushing memories poured into his
full soul; what "sweet and bitter" recollections of home inspired his
throbbing heart; and what manly aspirations after fame buoyed him u