vercome at last by
terror, the count fell senseless, his eyes dazed by the still whirling
spectres and their flying quarry. When at last he slowly awaked from his
swoon he looked around, fearing to see again the hideous spectacle. All
but the stranger, however, had vanished. Graf Hermann shuddered as he
looked upon him, and only with difficulty could he summon sufficient
courage to address him. Indeed, it was only after the unwonted action of
crossing himself that he could speak.

"Who and what are you?" he asked in a hushed tone. But the stranger made
no reply, except to sigh mournfully. Again the count asked the question,
and again received but a sigh for answer.

"Then in the name of the Most High God I conjure you, speak!" he said
the third time.

The stranger turned to him, as if suddenly released from bonds.

"By the power of God's holy name the spell is broken at last. Listen now
to me!"

He beckoned Hermann to his side and in strange, stern tones he related
the following:

"I am your ancestor. Like you, I loved the chase beyond everything in
life--beyond our holy faith or the welfare of any human being, man,
woman, or child. To all that stood in my path I showed no mercy. There
came a time when famine visited the land. The harvest was destroyed by
blight and the people starved. In their extremity they broke into my
forests; famished with hunger, they destroyed and carried off the game.
Beside myself with rage, I swore that they should suffer for it--that
for every head of game destroyed I would exact a human life. I kept
my oath. Arming my retainers, servants, and huntsmen, I seized my
presumptuous vassals in the dead of night, and dragging them to the
castle, I flung them into the deepest dungeons. There for three days
I let them starve--for three days also I kept my hounds without food.
Meantime my huntsmen had caught a great number of the largest and
strongest deer in the forests. At the end of three days the unfortunate
wretches were brought out, diminished now by a full hundred. My ready
retainers bound them naked to the stags. My best steeds were saddled.
Then the kennels were thrown open and the famished hounds rushed forth
like a host of demons. Off went the deer like the wind, each with his
human burden, the dogs following, and then the horsemen, shouting with
glee at the new sport. By nightfall not a stag or his rider was left
alive. The hounds in their fury worried and tore at both man and beas