en," sneered Hatto, still chuckling over the success of his strategy.

And so Adalbert went forth to his doom, the victim of the cruel
Churchman's treachery.

Rheingrafenstein

Rheingrafenstein, perched upon its sable foundations of porphyry, is
the scene of a legend which tells of a terrible bargain with Satan--that
theme so frequent in German folk-tale.

A certain nobleman, regarding the site as impregnable and therefore
highly desirable, resolved to raise a castle upon the lofty eminence,
But the more he considered the plan the more numerous appeared the
difficulties in the way of its consummation.

Every pro and con was carefully argued, but to no avail. At last in
desperation the nobleman implored assistance from the Enemy of Mankind,
who, hearing his name invoked, and scenting the possibility of gaining
a recruit to the hosts of Tartarus, speedily manifested his presence,
promising to build the castle in one night if the nobleman would grant
him the first living creature who should look from its windows. To
this the nobleman agreed, and upon the following day found the castle
awaiting his possession. He did not dare to enter it, however. But he
had communicated his secret to his wife, who decided to circumvent the
Evil One by the exercise of her woman's wit. Mounting her donkey, she
rode into the castle, bidding all her men follow her. Satan waited on
the alert. But the Countess amid great laughter pinned a kerchief upon
the ass's head, covered it with a cap, and, leading it to the window,
made it thrust its head outside.

Satan immediately pounced upon what he believed to be his lawful prey,
and with joy in his heart seized upon and carried off the struggling
beast of burden. But the donkey emitted such a bray that, recognizing
the nature of his prize, the Fiend in sheer disgust dropped it and
vanished in a sulphurous cloud, to the accompaniment of inextinguishable
laughter from Rheingrafenstein.

Ruedesheim and its Legends

The town of Ruedesheim is a place famous in song and story, and some
of the legends connected with it date from almost prehistoric times.
Passing by in the steamer, the traveller who cares for architecture will
doubtless be surprised to mark an old church which would seem to be
at least partly of Norman origin; but this is not the only French
association which Ruedesheim boasts, for Charlemagne, it is said, loved
the place and frequently resided there, while tradition even asserts
t