phen was doing at St.
Denys.

Old Cologne was a great and influential city, and at that time the
religious centre of Germany, and there Nicholas went and preached,
telling, and doubtless with much suggestion and help from his father,
many marvellous tales of the cross of blazing light which had been his
pledge of success in the Holy War. Now we hear him speaking in
impassioned words by the door of the old Cathedral, now on a platform
surrounded by his credulous audience, and again simply standing on the
street corner telling his story, while like the widening ripples from a
stone thrown into the still waters of a lake, widened the ripples of
interest in the new Crusade among the German children.

For reasons politic, the Emperor suppressed the matter where he could,
but in the vicinity of the Rhine and the neighbouring land of Burgundy,
the mania spread like wildfire, and as in France, overcame all
opposition, until in little over a month after the first preaching of
Nicholas, his bands were ready to depart for the Holy Land, while
Stephen, Prophet and leader in France, was still waiting for the
completion of his army, recruits for which were ever pouring into St.
Denys, and although Stephen had never seen Nicholas, it must have been
anything but an easy matter for him to control his feelings and act as
such a divinely appointed leader should, when he heard that Nicholas
was ready to lead his forces on to victory, while he, Stephen, first
called of God, was left behind.

But there was no help for it, and on a morning of early July, in 1212,
the German bands were ready to march to glory. Most of them wore the
long grey coat of the Crusader, with its Cross upon the right shoulder,
which, with the addition of the palmer's staff they carried, and the
broad-brimmed hat they wore, made a quaint and pleasing effect upon the
childish figures--while it showed to great advantages the broad
shoulders and fine figure of sturdy Nicholas, who was as different as
possible in physique and temperament from high-strung sensitive
Stephen.

Now the hour of their departure has come. The army of Nicholas is ready
to start from Cologne--a great crowd of spectators surrounds them,
watching their movements in breathless silence. Nicholas stands with
up-raised hands, gives a signal--the army forms into a solid
body--starts--moves--and in a moment, despite opposition,
protestations, pleas and sobs, twenty thousand children have commenced
th