uld, but who, in
the heat of battle, can command his steel? God be my judge!"

The palfrey was saddled and brought out. Tausdorf again bade Althea
farewell, pressed her to his heart with the convulsive energy of grief,
and rushed away. With slow steps she reascended the stairs, and placed
herself again in the stone seat in the window. The tears flowed hotly
down her cheeks, while her anxious heart swelled her bosom with strong
and frequent heavings.

She had sate thus for some time, when with anxious speed her uncle
entered the apartment.

"Have you heard it, niece? Francis Friend has been found dead in the
Park, not far from the bowling-green, and report names our Tausdorf for
his murderer."

"Alas! alas!" sobbed Althea; "this misfortune will cost me too my
life."

"Gracious Heavens! It is true, then? But the unlucky man has
fled?--for, if they catch him here, he is lost. He might rather hope to
find mercy from the Spanish inquisition, or from the prince of darkness
himself, than from the old Erasmus."

"He has fled upon my palfrey, and if he only gets a good start of them
I deem him saved."

"God grant it! but as I hurried hither the prefects of the quarter were
running about like mad. To a certainty they will raise a hue and cry
after him. Has he been long gone?"

Althea remained without answering, for the hurried trot of many horses
had caused her to look out of the window. A party of the city police
were riding by, well armed and with speed, over the market-place to the
Striegauer gate.

"Gracious Heavens! Too soon!" sighed the poor Althea, and sank in a
swoon to the ground.

* * * * *

The night had come on, and the moon threw her first beams over the
silent country. Tausdorf just then rode his panting horse into
Salzbrunn, with many a glance behind to see if he could yet discover
any of his pursuers. Unfortunately he heard from the town the snorting
and the tramp of many horses.

"Hold out but this once, poor beast!" he exclaimed to his horse, and
again plunged the spurs into his bleeding flanks. But the weary animal
made only a few weak efforts, and fell back again into his short trot,
interrupted by frequent stumbles, while the sound of horses' feet kept
constantly nearing.

"It is then a struggle for life or death!" cried Tausdorf; drew his
sword, and his left hand grasped his holster-pistols.

"Stop, murderer, stop!" cried the first horseman, springing fo