ing in this
dreadful place, around which crept the ghosts of walled-in monks. The
moon now appeared from behind the Koenigstuhl; peacefully glinted its
light through the trees, and shed pure rays on the path beneath. Her
long shadow accompanied her, at times reaching far down the descent, at
times reared straight against the steep declivity. As she was about to
come forth from behind a small mound she heard a suppressed chuckle.
She sprang to one side with a bound, and rushed once more upwards
through the bushes. They were at hand those horrible men. One rose up
on one side, another on the other side, whilst a third hidden behind a
tree came straight at her. "Saviour, have mercy on me," cried the
terrified child. The drunken scoundrel tripped over the root of a tree,
and Lydia shot past him swift as an arrow. But the hunt could not last
much longer; the three pressed after her with drunken confidence sure
of their booty, each pushing the other out of his way to be the first
to reach the beauteous prey. Klytia's last hope was to get to the ruins
of the Michael's Church on the foremost brow of the hill, and conceal
herself in one of the niches. She had already cleared the first wall,
but the youngest of her pursuers was close at her heels. She made one
spring forwards, and felt the ground give way under her feet. "The
Heidenloch" the horrid thought flashed across her mind; she fell into
empty space; struck the ground beneath her heavily and lost her senses.
A moment afterwards the foremost of her pursuers came through the
entrance. The ruins lay before him bathed in the pure moonlight, but
all was still. It seemed as if the earth had swallowed up the maiden.
"Holy saints," muttered he. The others now appeared, the eldest
limping. "Where is she," roared the ruffianly scoundrels. "I saw her
here still flying before me and when I came up she was gone." "She is
somewhere crouching behind the walls," said the oldest. Cursing and
with terrible threats they searched the bushes and walls. Nowhere did
they find a trace. The three looked at each other suspiciously. "I
believe one witch sent us in pursuit of another." The older man crossed
himself. "With real beings such things do not occur," added the
youngest. "Perhaps she fell into the Heidenloch, in which case she is
dead," said the third unconcernedly. "Come, I have had enough of the
business, I want a sleep." And calmly, as if they had done no evil, the
three blackguards went d