He grasped the mane of his horse
and flung abroad handfuls, till the splendid animal reared in agony.
'You shall none of you live over this night, villains! I 'll hang you,
every hag's son! My last orders were,--Keep quiet in the city, ye devil's
brood. Take that! and that!' laying at them with his bare sword. 'Off
with you, and carry these two pigs out of sight quickly, or I'll have
their heads, and make sure o' them.'
The latter injunction sprang from policy, for at the head of the chief
street there was a glitter of the city guard, marching with shouldered
spears.
'Maiden,' said Werner, with a bull's bow, 'let me conduct thee to thy
father.'
Margarita did not reply; but gave her hand to Farina, and took a step
closer to the stranger.
Werner's brows grew black.
'Enough to have saved you, fair maid,' he muttered hoarsely. 'Gratitude
never was a woman's gift. Say to your father that I shall make excuses to
him for the conduct of my men.'
Whereupon, casting a look of leisurely scorn toward the guard coming up
in the last beams of day, the Baron shrugged his huge shoulders to an
altitude expressing the various contemptuous shades of feudal coxcombry,
stuck one leather-ruffled arm in his side, and jolted off at an easy
pace.
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