. And he took their bitter
words so seriously to heart that he fell sick the next day, and only
the consoling words of good Father Joseph, and the strengthening
remedies of Frau Feldheimerin, rescued him from death.

But when his brothers heard that Cuno lay very sick, they sat down to a
jovial banquet, and over their cups made an agreement that the one who
should be the first to hear of his death was to fire off a cannon, in
order to notify the other of the event, and he who fired first might
take the best cask of wine in Cuno's cellar. From this time forth Wolf
stationed a watchman in the vicinity of Hirschberg, while Schalk bribed
one of Cuno's servants with a large sum of money, to inform him,
without delay, when Cuno was breathing his last.

But this servant was more faithful to his good and gentle master than
to the wicked Count of Schalksberg. He inquired one evening of Frau
Feldheimerin, very solicitously, after his master's health, and when
she told him that the count was doing quite well, he related to her the
project of the brothers of firing off guns when the Count Cuno should
die. The old woman was infuriated, and quickly repeated this story to
the count, who could hardly believe his brothers were so utterly
heartless; so she advised him to put the matter to the proof by
spreading a report of his death. The count summoned the servant to whom
his brother had given a bribe, questioned him closely, and then ordered
him to ride to Schalksberg and announce his approaching death.

As the servant was riding hastily down the hill, he was seen and
stopped by the servant of Count Wolf, who asked him where he was riding
to in such a hurry. "Alas!" was his reply, "my poor master will not
outlive the night, they have all given him up."

"Indeed! Has his time come?" cried the spy, as he ran to his horse,
'sprang on his back, and rode so fast towards Zollern, that his horse
sank down at the gate, and he was himself only able to call out: "Count
Cuno is dying!" before he fell down senseless. Thereupon, the cannon of
Hohen-Zollern thundered, and Count Wolf rejoiced with his mother, in
anticipation of the cask of wine, over the castle and its belongings,
the jewels, the pond, and the echo of his cannon.

But what he had taken for its echo, was the cannon of Schalksberg, and
Wolf said smilingly to his mother: "It seems Schalk has had a spy there
too, and therefore he and I will have to divide the wine equally, as
well as