h withdrew into the circle.

"Before we march forth to the battle against the foe," the Duke now
broke the silence, "and we shall set out soon, very soon--"

Loud shouts of joy and rattling of weapons burst forth, which the old
noble allowed to die away; then he continued:

"The popular assembly must first pronounce judgment and decide
questions of justice and law. First on Fiskulf, the fisherman, from
Rohr-Mos, the rush marshes. Where is the accuser?"

Adalo stepped forward hesitatingly.

"Here: I, Adalo, son of Adalger."

"Step to the right. Where is the defendant?"

"Here!" said a man in plain garments; he wore an old fishing net for a
girdle. With head bent sorrowfully he came forward, lowering his eyes.

"What is your complaint?" asked the judge.

"Breaking the oath of military duty."

"That is a matter of life and death. Tell me the law: may Adalo, son of
Adalger, make such a charge here?"

One of the two old men stepped forward again, and said:

"The assembly knows Adalo, the Adeling, as a free man of unblemished
reputation: his estate is in the Linzgau: it would cover any charge of
false accusation: he may make complaint in a matter of life and death."

At a sign from the judge the young noble began:

"I make the complaint reluctantly,--against my wish and will,--but my
oath requires it. For when I took command of the men of the western
shore of the lake, I was obliged to swear on the Duke's hand to
denounce before the assembly any breach of his orders that might occur
in my troop. So speak I must, for I fear to break the oath. You all
know that the Duke forbade, on pain of death, the lighting of a fire by
day or night in any of the boats where the fugitives from the country
at first lay concealed among the rushes on the western shore: if the
Romans, while passing, discovered by smoke or flame that there were
people living in the wide marshy forests, all who were hidden there
might be lost. When I set out, I repeated the Duke's command to all my
men; Fiskulf was standing on my shield side. And yet, while the foe was
passing along the shore he lighted a fire on the Pike Stone which rises
above the reeds. True, it was daylight, but the smoke was visible. The
nearest cohort had halted and was preparing to look for the fire, which
I with difficulty put out in time to lull their suspicions. I must now
accuse Fiskulf of this breach of orders."

He paused and drew back a step. A murmur of indignation r