The Cloister and the Hearth

  CHAPTER XVI

  Martin Wittenhaagen, standing at the foot of the stairs with his arrowdrawn nearly to the head and his knife behind him, was struck withamazement to see the men come back without Gerard: he lowered his bowand looked open-mouthed at them. They, for their part, were equallypuzzled at the attitude they had caught him in.

  "Why, mates, was the old fellow making ready to shoot at us?"

  "Stuff!" said Martin, recovering his stolid composure; "I was but tryingmy new string. There! I'll unstring my bow, if you think that."

  "Humph!" said Dierich suspiciously, "there is something more in you thanI understand: put a log on, and let us dry our hides a bit ere we go."

  A blazing fire was soon made, and the men gathered round it, and theirclothes and long hair were soon smoking from the cheerful blaze. Then itwas that the shrieks were heard in Margaret's room. They all started up,and one of them seized the candle and ran up the steps that led to thebedrooms.

  Martin rose hastily too, and being confused by these sudden screams, andapprehending danger from the man's curiosity, tried to prevent him fromgoing there.

  At this Dierich threw his arms round him from behind, and called on theothers to keep him. The man that had the candle got clear away, and allthe rest fell upon Martin, and after a long and fierce struggle, in thecourse of which they were more than once all rolling on the floor, withMartin in the middle, they succeeded in mastering the old Samson, andbinding him hand and foot with a rope they had brought for Gerard.

  Martin groaned aloud. He saw the man had made his way to Margaret's roomduring the struggle, and here was he powerless.

  "Ay, grind your teeth, you old rogue," said Dierich, panting with thestruggle. "You shan't use them."

  "It is my belief, mates, that our lives were scarce safe while this oldfellow's bones were free."

  "He makes me think this Gerard is not far off," put in another.

  "No such luck," replied Dierich. "Hallo, mates. Jorian Ketel is a longtime in that girl's bedroom. Best go and see after him, some of us."

  The rude laugh caused by this remark had hardly subsided, when hastyfootsteps were heard running along over head.

  "Oh, here he comes, at last. Well, Jorian, what is to do now up there?"