The rays of the sun shining brightly into the room awoke Sintram, and
raising himself up, he looked angrily at the chaplain, and said, “So
there is a priest in the castle! And yet that accursed dream continues
to torment me even in his very presence. Pretty priest he must be!”
“My child,” answered the chaplain in the mildest tone, “I have prayed
for thee most fervently, and I shall never cease doing so--but God alone
is Almighty.”
“You speak very boldly to the son of the knight Biorn,” cried Sintram.
“‘My child!’ If those horrible dreams had not been again haunting me,
you would make me laugh heartily.”
“Young Lord Sintram,” said the chaplain, “I am by no means surprised
that you do not know me again; for in truth, neither do I know you
again.” And his eyes filled with tears as he spoke.
The good Rolf looked sorrowfully in the boy’s face, saying, “Ah, my dear
young master, you are so much better than you would make people believe.
Why do you that? Your memory is so good, that you must surely recollect
your kind old friend the chaplain, who used formerly to be constantly at
the castle, and to bring you so many gifts--bright pictures of saints,
and beautiful songs?”
“I know all that very well,” replied Sintram thoughtfully. “My sainted
mother was alive in those days.”
“Our gracious lady is still living, God be praised,” said the good Rolf.
“But she does not live for us, poor sick creatures that we are!” cried
Sintram. “And why will you not call her sainted? Surely she knows
nothing about my dreams?”
“Yes, she does know of them,” said the chaplain; “and she prays to God
for you. But take heed, and restrain that wild, haughty temper of yours.
It might, indeed, come to pass that she would know nothing about your
dreams, and that would be if your soul were separated from your body;
and then the holy angels also would cease to know anything of you.”
Sintram fell back on his bed as if thunderstruck; and Rolf said, with
a gentle sigh, “You should not speak so severely to my poor sick child,
reverend sir.”
The boy sat up, and with tearful eyes he turned caressingly towards the
chaplain: “Let him do as he pleases, you good, tender-hearted Rolf;
he knows very well what he is about. Would you reprove him if I were
slipping down a snow-cleft, and he caught me up roughly by the hair of
my head?”
The priest looked tenderly at him, and would have spoken his holy
thoughts, when Sintram suddenly sprang off the bed and asked after his
father. As soon as he heard of the knight’s departure, he would not
remain another hour in the castle; and put aside the fears of the
chaplain and the old esquire, lest a rapid journey should injure his
hardly restored health, by saying to them, “Believe me, reverend sir,
and dear old Rolf, if I were not subject to these hideous dreams, there
would not be a bolder youth in the whole world; and even as it is, I am
not so far behind the very best. Besides, till another year has passed,
my dreams are at an end.”
On his somewhat imperious sign Rolf brought out the horses. The boy
threw himself boldly into the saddle, and taking a courteous leave of
the chaplain, he dashed along the frozen valley that lay between the
snow-clad mountains. He had not ridden far, in company with his old
attendant, when he heard a strange indistinct sound proceeding from
a neighbouring cleft in the rock; it was partly like the clapper of a
small mill, but mingled with that were hollow groans and other tones of
distress. Thither they turned their horses, and a wonderful sight showed
itself to them.
A tall man, deadly pale, in a pilgrim’s garb, was striving with violent
though unsuccessful efforts, to work his way out of the snow and to
climb up the mountain; and thereby a quantity of bones, which were
hanging loosely all about his garments, rattled one against the other,
and caused the mysterious sound already mentioned. Rolf, much terrified,
crossed himself, while the bold Sintram called out to the stranger,
“What art thou doing there? Give an account of thy solitary labours.”
“I live in death,” replied that other one with a fearful grin.
“Whose are those bones on thy clothes?”
“They are relics, young sir.”
“Art thou a pilgrim?”
“Restless, quietless, I wander up and down.”
“Thou must not perish here in the snow before my eyes.”
“That I will not.”
“Thou must come up and sit on my horse.”
“That I will.” And all at once he started up out of the snow with
surprising strength and agility, and sat on the horse behind Sintram,
clasping him tight in his long arms. The horse, startled by the rattling
of the bones, and as if seized with madness, rushed away through the
most trackless passes. The boy soon found himself alone with his strange
companion; for Rolf, breathless with fear, spurred on his horse in vain,
and remained far behind them. From a snowy precipice the horse slid,
without falling, into a narrow gorge, somewhat indeed exhausted, yet
continuing to snort and foam as before, and still unmastered by the boy.
Yet his headlong course being now changed into a rough irregular trot,
Sintram was able to breathe more freely, and to begin the following
discourse with his unknown companion.
“Draw thy garment closer around thee, thou pale man, so the bones will
not rattle, and I shall be able to curb my horse.”
“It would be of no avail, boy; it would be of no avail. The bones must
rattle.”
“Do not clasp me so tight with thy long arms, they are so cold.”
“It cannot be helped, boy; it cannot be helped. Be content. For my long
cold arms are not pressing yet on thy heart.”
“Do not breathe on me so with thy icy breath. All my strength is
departing.”
“I must breathe, boy; I must breathe. But do not complain. I am not
blowing thee away.”
The strange dialogue here came to an end; for to Sintram’s surprise he
found himself on an open plain, over which the sun was shining brightly,
and at no great distance before him he saw his father’s castle. While
he was thinking whether he might invite the unearthly pilgrim to rest
there, this one put an end to his doubts by throwing himself suddenly
off the horse, whose wild course was checked by the shock. Raising his
forefinger, he said to the boy, “I know old Biorn of the Fiery Eyes
well; perhaps but too well. Commend me to him. It will not need to tell
him my name; he will recognize me at the description.” So saying, the
ghastly stranger turned aside into a thick fir-wood, and disappeared
rattling amongst the tangled branches.
Slowly and thoughtfully Sintram rode on towards his father’s castle,
his horse now again quiet and altogether exhausted. He scarcely knew
how much he ought to relate of his wonderful journey, and he also
felt oppressed with anxiety for the good Rolf, who had remained so far
behind. He found himself at the castle-gate sooner than he had expected;
the drawbridge was lowered, the doors were thrown open; an attendant led
the youth into the great hall, where Biorn was sitting all alone at
a huge table, with many flagons and glasses before him, and suits of
armour ranged on either side of him. It was his daily custom, by way of
company, to have the armour of his ancestors, with closed visors, placed
all round the table at which he sat. The father and son began conversing
as follows:
“Where is Rolf?”
“I do not know, father; he left me in the mountains.”
“I will have Rolf shot if he cannot take better care than that of my
only child.”
“Then, father, you will have your only child shot at the same time, for
without Rolf I cannot live; and if even one single dart is aimed at
him, I will be there to receive it, and to shield his true and faithful
heart.”
“So!--Then Rolf shall not be shot, but he shall be driven from the
castle.”
“In that case, father, you will see me go away also; and I will give
myself up to serve him in forests, in mountains, in caves.”
“So’--Well, then, Rolf must remain here.”
“That is just what I think, father.”
“Were you riding quite alone?”
“No, father; but with a strange pilgrim. He said that he knew you very
well--perhaps too well.” And thereupon Sintram began to relate and to
describe all that had passed with the pale man.
“I know him also very well,” said Biorn. “He is half crazed and half
wise, as we sometimes are astonished at seeing that people can be. But
do thou, my boy, go to rest after thy wild journey. I give you my word
that Rolf shall be kindly received if he arrive here; and that if he do
not come soon, he shall be sought for in the mountains.”
“I trust to your word, father,” said Sintram, half humble, half proud;
and he did after the command of the grim lord of the castle.