d
in answer, and the Lord of Trutz-Drachen reined back his horse again.
He wheeled his horse and glared round upon the stolid faces of his
followers, until his eyes seemed fairly to blaze with passion beneath
the bars of his vizor.

Baron Conrad gave a roar of laughter. "How now," he cried; "are ye all
afraid of one man? Is there none among ye that dares come forward and
meet me? I know thee, Baron Henry thou art not afraid to cut off the
hand of a little child. Hast thou not now the courage to face the
father?"

Baron Henry gnashed his teeth with rage as he glared around upon the
faces of his men-at-arms. Suddenly his eye lit upon one of them. "Ha!
Carl Spigler," he cried, "thou hast thy cross-bow with thee;--shoot me
down yonder dog! Nay," he said, "thou canst do him no harm under his
armor; shoot the horse upon which he sits."

Baron Conrad heard the speech. "Oh! thou coward villain!" he cried,
"stay; do not shoot the good horse. I will dismount and fight ye upon
foot." Thereupon, armed as he was, he leaped clashing from his horse and
turning the animal's head, gave it a slap upon the flank. The good horse
first trotted and then walked to the further end of the bridge, where it
stopped and began cropping at the grass that grew beside the road.

"Now then!" cried Baron Henry, fiercely, "now then, ye cannot fear him,
villains! Down with him! forward!"

Slowly the troopers spurred their horses forward upon the bridge and
toward that one figure that, grasping tightly the great two-handed
sword, stood there alone guarding the passage.

Then Baron Conrad whirled the great blade above his head, until it
caught the sunlight and flashed again. He did not wait for the attack,
but when the first of the advancing horsemen had come within a few feet
of him, he leaped with a shout upon them. The fellow thrust at him with
his lance, and the Baron went staggering a few feet back, but instantly
he recovered himself and again leaped forward. The great sword flashed
in the air, whistling; it fell, and the nearest man dropped his lance,
clattering, and with a loud, inarticulate cry, grasped the mane of his
horse with both hands. Again the blade whistled in the air, and this
time it was stained with red. Again it fell, and with another shrill cry
the man toppled headlong beneath the horse's feet. The next instant they
were upon him, each striving to strike at the one figure, to ride him
down, or to thrust him down with their lance