flames soon reached it also. Neither the nuns
nor the men had thought of driving the cattle out.
Poor city cattle! In the country the animals
have more friendly care. When the work of rescue
was at last commenced the cows naturally refused to
leave their old home. Some prudent person had
torn the door off the hinges that they might not stifle.
Just in front of it stood a pretty red cow with a
white star on her face. A calf was by her side,
and the mother had already sunk on her knees and was
licking it in mortal terror. I pitied the poor
thing, and as Boemund Altrosen, the black-haired knight
who entered your house with the rest after the ride
to Kadolzburg, had just come there, I told him to
save the calf. Of course he obeyed my wish, and
as it struggled he dragged it out of the stable with
his strong arms. The building was already blazing,
and the thatched roof threatened to fall in.
Just at that moment the old cow looked at me so piteously
and uttered such a mournful bellow that it touched
me to the heart. My eyes rested on the calf,
and a voice within whispered that it would be motherless,
like me, and miss during the first part of its life
God’s best gift. But since, as you have
heard, I act before I think, I went myself—I
no longer know how—into the burning stable.
It was hard to breathe in the dense smoke, and fiery
sparks scorched my shawl and my hair, but I was conscious
of one thought: You must save the helpless little
creature’s mother! So I called and lured
her, as I do at home, where all the cows are fond
of me, but it was useless; and just as I perceived
this the thatched roof fell in, and I should probably
have perished had not Altrosen this time carried my
own by no means light figure out of the stable instead
of the calf.”
“And you?” asked Els eagerly.
“I submitted,” replied the countess.
“No, no,” urged Els. “Your
heart throbbed faster with grateful joy, for you saw
the desire of your soul fulfilled. A hunter, and
one of the noblest of them all, risked his life in
the pursuit of your love. O Countess Cordula,
I remember that knight well, and if the dark-blue
sleeve which he wore on his helm in the tournament
was yours—”
“I believe it was,” Cordula interrupted
indifferently. “But, what was of more importance,
when I opened my eyes again the cow was standing outside,
licking her recovered calf.”
“And the knight?” asked Els. “Whoever
so heroically risks his life for his lady’s
wish should be sure of her gratitude.”
“Boemund can rely on that,” said Cordula
positively. “At least, what he did this
time for my sake weighs more heavily in the scale than
the lances he has broken, his love songs, or the mute
language of his longing eyes. Those are shafts
which do not pierce my heart. How reproachfully
you look at me! Let him take lessons from his
friend Heinz Schorlin, and he may improve. Yes,
the Swiss knight! He would be the man for me,