the incarceration of prisoners. The plaintive
charm of the melody attracted the attention of a passing peasant, who
drew near to listen; when the last note of the song had died away, he
seated himself beside the minstrel and entered into conversation with
him.

"Methinks thou hast an interest in yonder tower," he said.

"In truth it interests me," responded Edwin, nevertheless veiling his
concern as much as possible by a seeming indifference. "Is it a prison,
think you?"

"Ay, that it is," replied the peasant with a laugh. "'Tis the cage where
my lord of Sooneck keeps the birds whose feathers he has plucked."

Edwin, still with a show of indifference, questioned him further,
and elicited the fact that the peasant had witnessed the capture and
incarceration in the tower of a knight and his servant on the very day
when Sir Oswald and his groom had disappeared. Nothing more could
Edwin glean, save that a few days hence Baron Wilm was to give a grand
banquet, when many nobles and knights were to be present.

The young man, his suspicions thus fully confirmed, felt that his next
move must be to gain entrance to the castle, and he decided to take
advantage of the excitement and bustle attendant on the banquet to
achieve this end. Accordingly, on the day fixed for the feast he again
donned his minstrel's garb, and repaired to the Schloss Sooneck. Here,
as he had anticipated, all was excitement and gaiety. Wine flowed
freely, tongues were loosened, and the minstrel was welcomed
uproariously and bidden to sing his best songs in return for a beaker
of Rhenish. Soon the greater part of the company were tipsy, and Edwin
moved among them, noting their conversation, coming at length to the
seat of the host.

"It is said," remarked a knight, "that you have captured Sir Oswald of
Fuerstenberg."

Wilm, to whom the remark was addressed, smiled knowingly and did not
deny the charge.

"I have even heard," pursued his companion, "that you have had his eyes
put out."

The Baron laughed outright, as at an excellent jest.

"Then you have heard truly," he said.

At this point another knight broke into the conversation. "It is
a pity," said he. "There are but few archers to match Oswald of
Fuerstenberg."

"I wager he can still hit a mark if it be set up," said he who had first
spoken.

"Done!" cried Sooneck, and when the terms of the wager had been fixed
the Baron directed that Oswald should be brought from the tower.

Edwin