MARTIN WITTENHAAGEN standing at the foot of the stairs with his arrow
drawn nearly to the head and his knife behind him, was struck with
amazement to see the men come back without Gerard: he lowered his bow,
and looked open-mouthed at them. They, for their part, were equally
puzzled 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 trying
my new string. There, I'll unstring my bow, if you think that."
"Humph!" said Dierich, suspiciously, "there is something more in you
than I 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 their
clothes and long hair were soon smoking from the cheerful blaze. Then it
was 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 the
bedrooms.
Martin rose hastily, too, and being confused by these sudden screams,
and apprehending danger from the man's curiosity, tried to prevent him
from going there.
At this Dierich threw his arms round him from behind, and called on the
others to keep him. The man that had the candle got clear away, and all
the rest fell upon Martin, and after a long and fierce struggle, in the
course of which they were more than once all rolling on the floor, with
Martin in the middle, they succeeded in mastering the old Samson, and
binding 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 room
during the struggle, and here was he powerless.
"Ay, grind your teeth, you old rogue," said Dierich, panting with the
struggle. "You shan't use them."
"It is my belief, mates, that our lives were scarce safe while this old
fellow'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 long
time 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 hasty
footsteps were heard running along overhead.
"Oh! here he comes, at last. Well, Jorian, what is to do now up there?"