"
"You have had plenty of time to consider it," growled the fellow.
A murmur, followed by a wrathful shout, rose among the villagers.
"Letting off the villain! No! No! Out upon him! He dares not!"
"Dare!" thundered Ebbo, with flashing eyes. "Rascals as ye are,
think ye to hinder me from daring? Your will to be mine? There,
fellow; away with thee! Up to the Gemsbock's Pass! And whoso would
follow him, let him do so at his peril!"
The prisoner was prompt to gather himself up and rush like a hunted
animal to the path, at the entrance of which stood both twins, with
drawn swords, to defend the escape. Of course no one ventured to
follow; and surly discontented murmurs were the sole result as the
peasants dispersed. Ebbo, sheathing his sword, and putting his arm
into his brother's, said: "What, Friedel, turned stony-hearted?
Hadst never a word for the poor caitiff?"
"I knew thou wouldst never do the deed," said Friedel, smiling.
"It was such wretched prey," said Ebbo. "Yet shall I be despised for
this! Would that thou hadst let me string him up shriftless, as any
other man had done, and there would have been an end of it!"
And even his mother's satisfaction did not greatly comfort Ebbo, for
he was of the age to feel more ashamed of a solecism than a crime.
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