"I'll wait here until the sun sets, and
then when they realize that I am about to leave them on an uninhabited
island, without anything to eat, I think you will see them scramble
aboard."
"But suppose they don't," suggested Greusel. "There are at least three
of them able to swim across this narrow branch of the Rhine, and engage
a boatman to take them off, should their signaling be unobserved."
"Again no matter. My plan for the undoing of the castles does not depend
on force, but on craft. We three cannot carry away as much gold as can
twenty-one, but our shares will be the same, and then we are not likely
to find again so full a treasury as that at Rheinstein. My belief that
these chaps would fight was dispelled by their conduct last night. Think
of eighteen armed men flying before one sword!"
"Ah, you are scarce just in your estimate, Commander. They were under
the influence of wine."
"True; but a brave man will fight, drunk or sober."
Although the sun sank out of sight, the men did not return.
Pages:
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366