Ebearhard laughed heartily.

“Oh, if so sure of yourself as all that, you need no sympathy from me.”

“You thought I would be outmatched?  By the Three Kings! do you imagine me such a fool as to teach you artisans the higher qualities of the sword?  There would have been a woeful surprise for the eighteen had they ventured another step farther.  However, that’s all past and done with, and we’ll say no more about it.  Let us sit down here on the sward, and indulge in the more agreeable recreation of counting money.”

He spread his cloak on the grass, and poured out the gold upon it.

“I am keeping two hundred thalers for myself, as leader of the expedition, and covetous.  Here are your hundred and thirty thalers, Greusel, and yours, Ebearhard.  You will find remaining five hundred and forty, which, if divided with reasonable accuracy, should afford thirty thalers to each of our precious eighteen.”

“Aren’t you coming with us to Assmannshausen, that you may give this money to the men yourself?” asked Greusel.

“No; that pleasure falls to my lieutenants, first and second.  One may divide the money while the other delivers the moral lecture against mutiny, illustrated by the amount that good behavior gains.  Say nothing to the men about the barge being here, merely telling them to prepare for action.  Now that you are in funds, engage a large room, exclusively for yourselves, at the Golden Anker.  Thus you will be the better able to keep the men from talking with strangers, and so prevent any news of our intentions drifting across the river to Rheinstein or Falkenberg.  You might put it to them, should they object to the special room, that you are reconstituting, as it were, the Kaiser cellar of Frankfort in the village of Assmannshausen.  Go forward, therefore, with your usual meetings of the guild, as it was before I lowered its tone by becoming a member.  Knowing the lads as I do, I suggest that you make your bargain with them before you deliver the money.  No promise; no thirty thalers.  And now, good-by.  I shall be exceedingly busy for some days arranging for a further supply of money, so do not seek me out no matter what happens.”

With this Roland shook hands, and returned to Ehrenfels Castle.

* * * * *

The three sumptuous barges of the Archbishops hove in sight at midday, two coming up the river and one floating down.  They maneuvered to the landing so that all reached it at the same time, and thus the three Archbishops were enabled to set foot simultaneously on the firm ground, as was right and proper, no one of them obtaining precedence over the other two.  On entering the Castle of Ehrenfels in state, they proceeded to the large hall of the knights, and seated themselves in three equal chairs that were set along the solid table.  Here a repast was spread before them, accompanied by the finest wine the Rheingau produced, and although the grand prelates ate lustily, they were most sparing in their drink, for when they acted in concert none dared risk putting himself at a disadvantage with the others.  They would make up for their abstinence when each rested in the security of his own castle.