a lost
consciousness.

In the morning the Baron sought his wife in vain. He found instead a
missive telling of her ghastly experience, intimating her intention of
retiring to a nunnery, and closing with an earnest appeal to her husband
to repent of his crimes.

The Baron, moved with remorse and terror, followed Amina's example; he
sought in the mountain solitudes a hermitage where he might end his days
in peace, and having found such a cell, he confided his little son to
the care of the pastor of Wedenschied, and retired from the world in
which he had played so sorry a part.

The Blind Archer

Another legend connected with the ruined stronghold of Fuerstenberg is
the following. Long ago, in the days when bitter feuds and rivalries
existed between the owners of neighbouring fortresses, there dwelt in
Fuerstenberg a good old knight, Sir Oswald by name, well versed in the
arts of war, and particularly proficient in archery. He had one son,
Edwin, a handsome young man who bade fair to equal his father in skill
and renown.

Sir Oswald had a sworn foe in a neighbouring baron, Wilm von Sooneck,
a rich, unscrupulous nobleman who sought by every possible means to
get the knight into his power. At length his cunning schemes met with
success; an ambush was laid for the unsuspecting Oswald as he rode past
Sooneck Castle, attended only by a groom, and both he and his servant
were flung into a tower, there to await the pleasure of their captor.

And what that nobleman's pleasure was soon became evident. Ere many days
had elapsed Oswald was informed that his eyes were to be put out, and
soon the cruel decree was carried into execution.

Meanwhile Edwin awaited the coming of his father; and when he came not
it was at first concluded that he had been captured or slain by robbers.
But there were no evidences forthcoming to show that Sir Oswald had
met with such a fate, and his son began to suspect that his father had
fallen into the hands of Baron Wilm, for he knew of the bitter hatred
which he bore toward the knight of Fuerstenberg and of his cunning and
malice. He therefore cast about for a means of verifying his suspicions,
and eventually disguised himself as a wandering minstrel, took his
harp--for he had great skill as a musician--and set off in the direction
of Sooneck. There he seated himself under a tree and played and sang
sweetly, directing his gaze the while toward a strong tower which seemed
to him a likely place for