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Read book online ยซOtto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle (ereader manga txt) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   Howard Pyle



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of night-time lay upon the Castle of Trutz-Drachen.





XI. How Otto was Saved.

Little Otto was lying upon the hard couch in his cell, tossing in restless and feverish sleep; suddenly a heavy hand was laid upon him and a voice whispered in his ear, โ€œBaron, Baron Otto, waken, rouse yourself; I am come to help you. I am One-eyed Hans.โ€

Otto was awake in an instant and raised himself upon his elbow in the darkness. โ€œOne-eyed Hans,โ€ he breathed, โ€œOne-eyed Hans; who is One-eyed Hans?โ€

โ€œTrue,โ€ said the other, โ€œthou dost not know me. I am thy fatherโ€™s trusted servant, and am the only one excepting his own blood and kin who has clung to him in this hour of trouble. Yes, all are gone but me alone, and so I have come to help thee away from this vile place.โ€

โ€œOh, dear, good Hans! if only thou canst!โ€ cried Otto; โ€œif only thou canst take me away from this wicked place. Alas, dear Hans! I am weary and sick to death.โ€ And poor little Otto began to weep silently in the darkness.

โ€œAye, aye,โ€ said Hans, gruffly, โ€œit is no place for a little child to be. Canst thou climb, my little master? canst thou climb a knotted rope?โ€

โ€œNay,โ€ said Otto, โ€œI can never climb again! See, Hans;โ€ and he flung back the covers from off him.

โ€œI cannot see,โ€ said Hans, โ€œit is too dark.โ€

โ€œThen feel, dear Hans,โ€ said Otto.

Hans bent over the poor little white figure glimmering palely in the darkness. Suddenly he drew back with a snarl like an angry wolf. โ€œOh! the black, bloody wretches!โ€ he cried, hoarsely; โ€œand have they done that to thee, a little child?โ€

โ€œYes,โ€ said Otto, โ€œthe Baron Henry did it.โ€ And then again he began to cry.

โ€œThere, there,โ€ said Hans, roughly, โ€œweep no more. Thou shalt get away from here even if thou canst not climb; I myself will help thee. Thy father is already waiting below the window here, and thou shalt soon be with him. There, there, cry no more.โ€

While he was speaking Hans had stripped off his peddlerโ€™s leathern jacket, and there, around his body, was wrapped coil after coil of stout hempen rope tied in knots at short distances. He began unwinding the rope, and when he had done he was as thin as ever he had been before. Next he drew from the pouch that hung at his side a ball of fine cord and a leaden weight pierced by a hole, both of which he had brought with him for the use to which he now put them. He tied the lead to the end of the cord, then whirling the weight above his head, he flung it up toward the window high above. Twice the piece of lead fell back again into the room; the third time it flew out between the iron bars carrying the cord with it. Hans held the ball in his hand and paid out the string as the weight carried it downward toward the ground beneath. Suddenly the cord stopped running. Hans jerked it and shook it, but it moved no farther. โ€œPray heaven, little child,โ€ said he, โ€œthat it hath reached the ground, for if it hath not we are certainly lost.โ€

โ€œI do pray,โ€ said Otto, and he bowed his head.

Then, as though in answer to his prayer, there came a twitch upon the cord.

โ€œSee,โ€ said Hans, โ€œthey have heard thee up above in heaven; it was thy father who did that.โ€ Quickly and deftly he tied the cord to the end of the knotted rope; then he gave an answering jerk upon the string. The next moment the rope was drawn up to the window and down the outside by those below. Otto lay watching the rope as it crawled up to the window and out into the night like a great snake, while One-eyed Hans held the other end lest it should be drawn too far. At last it stopped. โ€œGood,โ€ muttered Hans, as though to himself. โ€œThe rope is long enough.โ€

He waited for a few minutes and then, drawing upon the rope and finding that it was held from below, he spat upon his hands and began slowly climbing up to the window above. Winding his arm around the iron bars of the grating that guarded it, he thrust his hand into the pouch that hung by his side, and drawing forth a file, fell to work cutting through all that now lay between Otto and liberty.

It was slow, slow work, and it seemed to Otto as though Hans would never finish his task, as lying upon his hard couch he watched that figure, black against the sky, bending over its work. Now and then the file screeched against the hard iron, and then Hans would cease for a moment, but only to begin again as industriously as ever. Three or four times he tried the effects of his work, but still the iron held. At last he set his shoulder against it, and as Otto looked he saw the iron bend. Suddenly there was a sharp crack, and a piece of the grating went flying out into the night.

Hans tied the rope securely about the stump of the stout iron bar that yet remained, and then slid down again into the room below.

โ€œMy little lord,โ€ said he, โ€œdost thou think that if I carry thee, thou wilt be able and strong enough to cling to my neck?โ€

โ€œAye,โ€ said Otto, โ€œmethinks I will be able to do that.โ€

โ€œThen come,โ€ said Hans.

He stooped as he spoke, and gently lifting Otto from his rude and rugged bed he drew his broad leathern belt around them both, buckling it firmly and securely. โ€œIt does not hurt thee?โ€ said he.

โ€œNot much,โ€ whispered Otto faintly.

Then Hans spat upon his hands, and began slowly climbing the rope.

They reached the edge of the window and there they rested for a moment, and Otto renewed his hold around the neck of the faithful Hans.

โ€œAnd now art thou ready?โ€ said Hans

โ€œAye,โ€ said Otto.

โ€œThen courage,โ€ said Hans, and he turned and swung his leg over the abyss below.

The next moment they were hanging in mid-air.

Otto looked down and gave a gasp. โ€œThe mother of heaven bless us,โ€ he whispered, and then closed his eyes, faint and dizzy at the sight of that sheer depth beneath. Hans said nothing, but shutting his teeth and wrapping his legs around the rope, he began slowly descending, hand under hand. Down, down, down he went, until to Otto, with his eyes shut and his head leaning upon Hansโ€™ shoulder, it seemed as though it could never end. Down, down, down. Suddenly he felt Hans draw a deep breath; there was a slight jar, and Otto opened his eyes; Hans was standing upon the ground.

A figure wrapped in a dark cloak arose from the shadow of the wall, and took Otto in its arms. It was Baron Conrad.

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