'There, my dear chaps, is your
bedroom'; lads who had never before slept without blankets and a roof.
No wonder they mutinied; but even then, by the love of God for His
creatures, they did not actually attack me when I stood up with drawn
sword in my hand."

"Of course you have that at least to be thankful for," said Ebearhard.
"Eighteen to one was foul odds."

"I be thankful! Surely you are dreaming, Ebearhard. Why should I be
thankful, except that I escaped the remorse for at least killing a dozen
of them!"

Ebearhard laughed heartily.

"Oh, if so sure of yourself as all that, you need no sympathy from me."

"You thought I would be outmatched? By the Three Kings! do you imagine
me such a fool as to teach you artisans the higher qualities of the
sword? There would have been a woeful surprise for the eighteen had they
ventured another step farther. However, that's all past and done with,
and we'll say no more about it. Let us sit down here on the sward, and
indulge in the more agreeable recreation of counting money."

He spread his cloak on the grass, and poured out the gold upon it.

"I am keeping two hundred thalers for myself, as leader of the
expedition, and covetous. Here are your hundred and thirty thalers,
Greusel, and yours, Ebearhard. You will find remaining five hundred and
forty, which, if divided with reasonable accuracy, should afford thirty
thalers to each of our precious eighteen."

"Aren't you coming with us to Assmannshausen, that you may give this
money to the men yourself?" asked Greusel.

"No; that pleasure falls to my lieutenants, first and second. One may
divide the money while the other delivers the moral lecture against
mutiny, illustrated by the amount that good behavior gains. Say nothing
to the men about the barge being here, merely telling them to prepare
for action. Now that you are in funds, engage a large room, exclusively
for yourselves, at the Golden Anker. Thus you will be the better able to
keep the men from talking with strangers, and so prevent any news of our
intentions drifting across the river to Rheinstein or Falkenberg. You
might put it to them, should they object to the special room, that you
are reconstituting, as it were, the Kaiser cellar of Frankfort in the
village of Assmannshausen. Go forward, therefore, with your usual
meetings of the guild, as it was before I lowered its tone by becoming a
member. Knowing the lads as I do, I suggest that you make your bargain