Otto Of the Silver Hand.docx
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Otto Of the Silver Hand.docx
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OttoOftheSilverHand
OttoOftheSilverHand
byHowardPyle
CONTENTS
I.TheDragon'sHouse,
II.HowtheBaronWentForthtoShear,
III.HowtheBaronCameHomeShorn,
IV.TheWhiteCrossontheHill,
V.HowOttoDweltatSt.Michaelsburg,
VI.HowOttoLivedintheDragon'sHouse,
VII.TheRedCockCrowsonDrachenhausen,
VIII.IntheHouseoftheDragonScorner,
IX.HowOne-eyedHansCametoTrutz-Drachen,
X.HowHansBroughtTerrortotheKitchen,
XI.HowOttowasSaved,
XII.ARideforLife,
XIII.HowBaronConradHeldtheBridge,
XIV.HowOttoSawtheGreatEmperor,
FOREWORD.
Betweenthefarawaypasthistoryoftheworld,andthatwhich
liesneartous;inthetimewhenthewisdomoftheancient
timeswasdeadandhadpassedaway,andourowndaysoflight
hadnotyetcome,therelayagreatblackgulfinhumanhistory,
agulfofignorance,ofsuperstition,ofcruelty,andof
wickedness.
Thattimewecallthedarkormiddleages.
Fewrecordsremaintousofthatdreadfulperiodinourworld's
history,andweonlyknowofitthroughbrokenanddisjointed
fragmentsthathavebeenhandeddowntousthroughthe
generations.
Yet,thoughtheworld'slifethenwassowickedandblack,there
yetremainedafewgoodmenandwomenhereandthere(mostlyin
peacefulandquietmonasteries,farfromthethunderandthe
glareoftheworldsbloodybattle),whoknewtherightandthe
truthandlivedaccordingtowhattheyknew;whopreservedand
tenderlycaredforthetruthsthatthedearChristtaught,and
livedanddiedforinPalestinesolongago.
ThistalethatIamabouttotellisofalittleboywholived
andsufferedinthosedarkmiddleages;ofhowhesawboththe
goodandthebadofmen,andofhow,bygentlenessandloveand
notbystrifeandhatred,hecameatlasttostandaboveother
menandtobelookeduptobyall.Andshouldyoufollowthe
storytotheend,Ihopeyoumayfinditapleasure,asIhave
done,toramblethroughthosedarkancientcastles,toliewith
littleOttoandBrotherJohninthehighbelfry-tower,ortosit
withtheminthepeacefulquietofthesunnyoldmonastery
garden,for,ofallthestory,Ilovebestthoseearlypeaceful
yearsthatlittleOttospentinthedearoldWhiteCrossonthe
Hill.
PoorlittleOtto'slifewasastonyandathornypathway,andit
iswellforallofusnowadaysthatwewalkitinfancyandnot
intruth.
I.
TheDragon'sHouse.
Upfromthegrayrocks,risingsheerandboldandbare,stood
thewallsandtowersofCastleDrachenhausen.Agreatgate-way,
withaheavyiron-pointedportcullishangingsuspendedinthe
dimarchabove,yawnedblacklyuponthebasculeorfalling
drawbridgethatspannedachasmbetweentheblankstonewalls
andtheroadwaythatwindingdownthesteeprockyslopetothe
littlevalleyjustbeneath.Thereinthelapofthehillsaround
stoodthewretchedstraw-thatchedhutsofthepeasantsbelonging
tothecastle-miserableserfswho,halftimid,halffierce,
tilledtheirpoorpatchesofground,wrenchingfromthehard
soilbarelyenoughtokeepbodyandsoultogether.Amongthose
vilehovelsplayedthelittlechildrenlikefoxesabouttheir
dens,theirwild,fierceeyespeeringoutfromunderamatof
tangledyellowhair.
Beyondthesesqualidhutslaytherushing,foamingriver,
spannedbyahigh,rude,stonebridgewheretheroadfromthe
castlecrossedit,andbeyondtheriverstretchedthegreat,
blackforest,withinwhosegloomydepthsthesavagewildbeasts
madetheirlair,andwhereinwintertimethehowlingwolves
coursedtheirflyingpreyacrossthemoonlitsnowandunderthe
net-workoftheblackshadowsfromthenakedboughsabove.
Thewatchmaninthecold,windybartizanorwatch-towerthat
clungtothegraywallsabovethecastlegateway,lookedfrom
hisnarrowwindow,wherethewindpipedandhummed,acrossthe
tree-topsthatrolledinendlessbillowsofgreen,overhilland
overvalleytotheblueanddistantslopeoftheKeiserberg,
where,onthemountainside,glimmeredfarawaythewallsof
CastleTrutz-Drachen.
Withinthemassivestonewallsthroughwhichthegapinggateway
led,threegreatcheerlessbrickbuildings,soforbiddingthat
eventheyellowsunlightcouldnotlightthemintobrightness,
lookeddown,withrowuponrowofwindows,uponthreesidesof
thebleak,stonecourtyard.Backofandabovethemclustereda
jumbleofotherbuildings,towerandturret,onehigh-peaked
roofovertoppinganother.
ThegreathouseinthecentrewastheBaron'sHall,thepartto
theleftwascalledtheRoderhausen;betweenthetwostooda
hugesquarepile,risingdizzilyupintotheclearairhigh
abovetherest-thegreatMelchiorTower.
Atthetopclusteredajumbleofbuildingshanginghighaloftin
thewindyspaceacrookedwoodenbelfry,atall,narrowwatch-
tower,andarudewoodenhousethatclungpartlytotheroofof
thegreattowerandpartlytothewalls.
>Fromthechimneyofthiscrazyhutathinthreadofsmokewould
nowandthenriseintotheair,fortherewerefolklivingfar
upinthatempty,airydesert,andoftentimeswild,uncouth
littlechildrenwereseenplayingontheedgeofthedizzy
height,orsittingwiththeirbarelegshangingdownoverthe
sheerdepths,astheygazedbelowatwhatwasgoingoninthe
court-yard.Theretheysat,justaslittlechildreninthetown
mightsitupontheirfather'sdoor-step;andasthesparrows
mightflyaroundthefeetofthelittletownchildren,sothe
circlingflocksofrooksanddawsflewaroundthefeetofthese
air-borncreatures.
ItwasSchwartzCarlandhiswifeandlittleoneswholivedfar
upthereintheMelchiorTower,foritoverlookedthetopofthe
hillbehindthecastleandsodownintothevalleyuponthe
furtherside.There,dayafterday,SchwartzCarlkeptwatch
uponthegrayroadthatranlikearibbonthroughthevalley,
fromtherichtownofGruenstaldttotherichtownof
Staffenburgen,wherepassedmerchantcaravansfromtheoneto
theother-forthelordofDrachenhausenwasarobberbaron.
Dong!
Dong!
Thegreatalarmbellwouldsuddenlyringoutfrom
thebelfryhighupupontheMelchiorTower.Dong!
Dong!
Tillthe
rooksanddawswhirledclamoringandscreaming.Dong!
Dong!
Till
thefiercewolf-houndsintherockykennelsbehindthecastle
stableshowleddismallyinanswer.Dong!
Dong!
-Dong!
Dong!
Thenwouldfollowagreatnoiseanduproarandhurryinthe
castlecourt-yardbelow;menshoutingandcallingtoone
another,theringingofarmor,andtheclatterofhorses'hoofs
uponthehardstone.Withthecreakingandgroaningofthe
windlasstheiron-pointedportculliswouldbeslowlyraised,and
withaclankandrattleandclashofironchainsthedrawbridge
wouldfallcrashing.Thenoveritwouldthunderhorseandman,
clatteringawaydownthewinding,stonypathway,untilthegreat
forestwouldswallowthem,andtheywouldbegone.
Thenforawhilepeacewouldfalluponthecastlecourtyard,the
cockwouldcrow,thecookwouldscoldalazymaid,andGretchen,
leaningoutofawindow,wouldsingasnatchofasong,justas
thoughitwereapeacefulfarm-house,insteadofadenof
robbers.
Maybeitwouldbeeveningbeforethemenwouldreturnoncemore.
Perhapsonewouldhaveabloodyclothboundabouthishead,
perhapsonewouldcarryhisarminasling;perhapsone-maybe
morethanone-wouldbeleftbehind,nevertoreturnagain,and
soonforgottenbyallexceptingsomepoorwomanwhowouldweep
silentlyinthelonelinessofherdailywork.
Nearlyalwaystheadventurerswouldbringbackwiththempack-
horsesladenwithbalesofgoods.Sometimes,besidesthese,they
wouldreturnwithapoorsoul,hishandstiedbehindhisback
andhisfeetbeneaththehorse'sbody,hisfurcloakandhis
flatcapwofullyawry.Awhilehewoulddisappearinsomegloomy
cellofthedungeon-keep,untilanenvoywouldcomefromthe
townwithafatpurse,whenhisransomwouldbepaid,the
dungeonwoulddisgorgehim,andhewouldbeallowedtogoupon
hiswayagain.
OnemanalwaysrodebesideBaronConradinhisexpeditionsand
adventuresashort,deep-chested,broad-shoulderedman,with
sinewyarmssolongthatwhenhestoodhishandshungnearlyto
hisknees.
Hiscoarse,close-clippedhaircamesolowuponhisbrowthat
onlyastripofforeheadshowedbetweenitandhisbushy,black
eyebrows.Oneeyewasblind;theothertwinkledandgleamedlike
asparkunderthepenthouseofhisbrows.Manyfolksaidthat
theone-eyedHanshaddrunkbeerwiththeHill-man,whohad
givenhimthestrengthoften,forhecouldbendanironspit
likeahazeltwig,andcouldliftabarrelofwinefromthe
floortohisheadaseasilyasthoughitwereabasketofeggs.
Asfortheone-eyedHansheneversaidthathehadnotdrunk
beerwiththeHill-man,forhelikedthecreditthatsuch
reportsgavehimwiththeotherfolk.Andso,likeahalfsavage
mastiff,faithfultodeathtohismaster,buttohimalone,he
wenthissullenwayandlivedhissullenlifewithinthecastle
walls,halfrespected,halffearedbytheotherinmates,forit
wasdangeroustriflingwiththeone-eyedHans.
II.
HowtheBaronwentForthtoShear.
BaronConradandBaronessMatildasattogetherattheirmorning
mealbelowtheirraisedseatsstretchedthelong,heavywooden
table,loadedwithcoarsefood-blackbread,boiledcabbage,
bacon,eggs,agreatchinefromawildboar,sausages,suchas
weeatnowadays,andflagonsandjarsofbeerandwine,Along
theboardsatrangedintheorderofthehouseholdthefollowers
andretainers.Fourorfiveslatternlywomenandgirlsserved
theothersastheyfednoisilyatthetable,movinghereand
therebehindthemenwithwoodenorpewterdishesoffood,now
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