and cudgels, so that I sank down behind the castle-gate half dead.  And when I cried, ’The thieves!  Where are they taking my horses?’ and got to my feet—­’Out of the courtyard with you!’ screamed the castellan, ‘Sick him, Caesar!  Sick him, Hunter!’ and, ’Sick him, Spitz!’ he called, and a pack of more than twelve dogs rushed at me.  Then I tore something from the fence, possibly a picket, and stretched out three dogs dead beside me!  But when I had to give way because I was suffering from fearful wounds and bites, I heard a shrill whistle; the dogs scurried into the yard, the gates were swung shut and the bolt shot into position, and I sank down on the highroad unconscious.”

Kohlhaas, white in the face, said with forced jocularity, “Didn’t you really want to escape, Herse?” And as the latter, with a deep blush, looked down at the ground—­“Confess to me!” said he; “You didn’t like it in the pigsty; you thought to yourself, you would rather be in the stable at Kohlhaasenbrueck, after all!”

“Od’s thunder!” cried Herse; “breast strap and blankets I tell you, and a bundle of linen I left behind in the pigsty.  Wouldn’t I have taken along three gold gulden that I had wrapped in a red silk neckcloth and hidden away behind the manger?  Blazes, hell, and the devil!  When you talk like that, I’d like to relight at once the sulphur cord I threw away!”

“There, there!” said the horse-dealer, “I really meant no harm.  What you have said—­see here, I believe it word for word, and when the matter comes up, I am ready to take the Holy Communion myself as to its truth.  I am sorry that you have not fared better in my service.  Go, Herse, go back to bed.  Have them bring you a bottle of wine and make yourself comfortable; you shall have justice done you!” With that he stood up, made out a list of the things which the head groom had left behind in the pigsty, jotted down the value of each, asked him how high he estimated the cost of his medical treatment, and sent him from the room after shaking hands with him once more.

Thereupon he recounted to Lisbeth, his wife, the whole course of the affair, explained the true relation of events, and declared to her that he was determined to demand public justice for himself.  He had the satisfaction of finding that she heartily approved his purpose, for, she said, many other travelers, perhaps less patient than he, would pass by the castle, and it was doing God’s work to put a stop to disorders such as these.  She added that she would manage to get together the money to pay the expenses of the lawsuit.  Kohlhaas called her his brave wife, spent that day and the next very happily with her and the children, and, as soon as his business would at all permit it, set out for Dresden in order to lay his suit before the court.