nning of your
afflictions. Your equality will yet be to you but equality of
misery--your community of goods will bring you to beggary. Instead of
the magistracy which you now drive away, miscreants will rise up from
the midst of you, and with bloody hands rend your own entrails, until
the wrath of a long suffering God finally awakes, until the avenger
appears, and you all perish in one common ruin.'

'There come horsemen galloping,' cried the doctor's attendant, who was
standing at the window with his cup; 'and, if I see rightly, they bear
our lord bishop's colors. It might be well for me to go back to the
city.'

'The bishop's riders!' sighed the doctor. 'It often happens that the
avenger only lingers near; but this time the Lord in his anger has
given him wings.'

'The bishop's riders!' cried the host, anxiously: 'May God be merciful
to us. Those fellows make no distinctions, but shear both Lutherans and
anabaptists over one comb.'

Alf's eyes flashed fire at this; he drew from his portmanteau a large,
two edged dirk-knife, screwed it upon his walking stick, and placed
himself in a defensive attitude.

Meanwhile the horsemen had stalked into the inn.

'Here is a whole band of anabaptists collected together,' cried the
officer. 'Halters from the horses! we will bind them together in
couples.'

'I am the doctor of theology, Theodore Fabricius,' cried the reverend
gentleman, with all the dignity of his station; 'driven from Munster by
the anabaptists, and am under the special protection of his grace the
landgrave of Hesse.'

'Why should we trouble ourselves much about the heretics,' exclaimed
the serjeant. 'Don't trifle and spend your time in unnecessary
discourse; submit without resistance!' cried another, seizing the poor
doctor by the collar.

Then sprang forward Alf, and struck aside the strong hand of the
horseman. 'Back!' cried he, holding his dirk-spear before him, 'I will
stab the first who touches the old man.'

'That is brave!' cried the host, exultingly; and, armed with a small
hatchet, he stationed himself at Alf's side.

'Young man, why do you interfere?' cried the horseman, recoiling. 'Out
broadswords!' shouted the officer, and the broad blades were already
flashing, when a new trampling of horses drew all eyes to the window,
and in an instant a fresh band of horsemen crowded into the room.

'God be praised!' cried Fabricius, with folded hands; 'those are the
colors of my lord, the landgrav