Wolf, who led the vanguard, stopped upon a height, and pointed with his hand to the distance. In front of the traveling band rose from the snow-covered landscape the mighty stone building, the King's castle, with high walls, solid towers with battlements, and amid them the red-brown tiled roof of the King's house --- a fearful sight for the wayfaring comrades. "It may be easy for birds to enter into such a cage, but it is not every one that will succeed in flying out of it," muttered Berthar. The tones of a short horn sounded from the distant battlement. "The warders are stirring; now trot, that they may perceive our eagerness."

The strangers rode through a hollow path betwixt two rocks, up to the stone outwork which was built in front of the bridge, the top of which was garrisoned with armed men. "The boys have closed the gates, in order to prepare themselves for our visit," exclaimed the old man, striking at the iron knocker of the door. The watchman from the top inquired their names, and what they wanted. Ingo answered. But long did the troop wait, and impatiently did the horses stamp, before the heavy creaking door opened, and the drawbridge fell to the ground. The horsemen galloped into the court of the castle; armed men thronged at all the doors; the King's herald met the guests; once more there were questions and answers; then the man, with clouded brow, advised them to dismount, and guided the heroes, who led their horses by the bridle, in front of the King's hall.

"Where does the host tarry?" cried out Berthar, with much displeasure, to the herald. "My lord is not accustomed to enter the threshold of a house before the master of it stands there." But at the same moment the door of the hall opened, and King Bisino stood in a circle of his nobles at the entrance; Queen Gisela by his side. Ingo ascended the steps, and bowed.

"Long have we expected thee in vain, stranger, and tardy have been the steps of thy horse from the forest to my dwelling," began the King, with a gloomy look. But immediately Queen Gisela stepped forward; she offered her white hand to the Hero in welcome, and nodded a greeting to his followers. "When I was a child, not taller than my son here, I saw thee, my lord, in the hall of the Burgundians; but we remember past times and old friendships. Reach thy hand to thy cousin," she commanded the boy, "and take care to become a hero famous among the people, as he is."

The child held out his hand to the guest. Ingo raised up the little one, and kissed him; and the boy clung confidingly round the neck of the man. Now also the King approached him. Between the royal pair Ingo walked into the hall, and exchanged words of greeting with them both, till the King commanded the herald to take the foreign guests to their quarters. Ingo returned to his followers; the countenances of the Thuringians became more friendly; one warrior after another went up to the strangers, greeted them, and accompanied them to the apartment which was destined for the dwelling of the guests. The servants carried them food and drink, cushions and coverlets; and again the herald came to invite Ingo to the King's repast.

It was late in the evening when Ingo, accompanied by one of the King's chamberlains and the torch-bearer, returned to the apartment of his men. Berthar was sitting alone at the door of the apartment; he held his battle-sword between his legs; his shield was propped up against the post; his gray beard and the breastplate under the woolen coat glistened in the torchlight. Ingo dismissed the King's servants with a greeting, and Berthar placed the torch in the large socket of an iron candlestick, which towered up to the height of a man in the middle of the room. The light shone on the rows of men who were sleeping on the cushions on the floor, their swords by their sides, and their helmets on their heads, and with their coats-of-mail on. "Thou keepest true watch, father," said Ingo; "how dost thou like our new hosts?"

"They squint," said the old man, laughing. "There is a proverb that the greater the King the more savage are the fleas in the sleeping coverlet which he has prepared for the wandering guest. Meagre was the evening fare ordered by the host, but the Queen sent wine and dainties, and thy boys lie satisfied and travel-weary by their shields. It is a roomy building," he continued, spying into the dark corners; "there, in a compartment of the gallery, the Prince's bed has been put up. Observe, my King, under the stone walls of this gigantic castle this is the only wooden structure; it stands apart, against the wall which towers above it at the back; and if one of the King's men should at night put a torch to the woodwork, and close the door, then the hall will blaze up in flames without noise, and the crackling will not disturb the repose of the castle's inmates."

Ingo exchanged a significant look with the old man, and asked in a low tone, "How was the greeting of the King's men?"

"They sneak like foxes about the nest; they are little accustomed to court manners; they boasted of the power of their ruler, and examined closely our weapons. I observe, my lord, they all hop to exchange sharp sword-blows with us. My King has at times been surrounded by enemies, but never was the enclosure so fast."

"King Bisino does not yet know what he intends to do," replied Ingo, "but the Queen is well-disposed toward us."

"None of the court retinue boasted to me that the Queen was beautiful," replied the old man, "therefore I perceive that they are afraid of their mistress. Perhaps fear of my King will give us tonight quiet sleep. I will extinguish the torch, that its light may not betray the sleeping-places to any spear. The first night in a dwelling is always the most full of anxiety to a guest."

"Perhaps also the last," replied Ingo. "It becomes me to watch, father; I send thee to thy bed."

"Dost thou think that the old man would sleep when thine eyes are not closed?" He brought a seat for Ingo close to the entrance, where the shadow concealed him; then he seated himself again on his stool, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, listened to the noise in the court, and gazed some time at the starry heaven of the fresh winter night. "The stars also are sitting above there, as they say, on their silver chairs, and ward off evil from the oppressed man who looks up to them in prayer," began Berthar, piously. "I am an old trunk, and it is time that I should be felled: for thee also, my King, I have sometimes longed for a fight with noble enemies as a glorious end of thy troubles. But now I behold in the forest a good woman, who is faithfully minded toward thee; and yet I fear for thee the dark night-clouds which divide us from the starlight, and I fear the night-storm driving about this wooden roof; for in the darkness I think the King may do what his bad spirit suggests to him."

"Thou knowest, father, that we have many a time overcome cold hospitality," answered Ingo.

The old man smiled at the remembrance, and continued, "I am always pleased when the iron flies in the air, and there is a free field, and better light than from flickering wood. Yet thou speakest well, oh King, for there is much that is insecure on the earth; but nothing deceives so much as anticipation before the combat. The longer one has wandered about with spear and sword, the less one cherishes thoughts concerning the end. And, in fact, I suspect that the Weird Sisters cast our lots before the fight with smiling faces. They hurl us into the greatest danger, as if in jest, and pull us out again merrily by the hairs of our head; and another time they intoxicate our minds with dreams of victory, and lay us dead on the heath. But as they try the hearts of men, at last they rejoice over us fighting boys on earth now, and later elsewhere."

This speech was interrupted by a slight whizzing, and a blow; an arrow flew out of the court toward the place where Ingo sat; the iron struck on the sword scabbard, and the arrow sank on the floor. The men remained motionless, but no cry and no attack followed.

"Seek thy bed, thou fool!" exclaimed Berthar, pointing to a dark shadow which disappeared by the houses in the darkness. He raised up the messenger of death. "The arrow is from a hunting quiver."

"It is something Tertullus has left behind for us," replied Ingo; "King Bisino would not send us so weak a greeting."

The heroes sat waiting, but nothing stirred again; the stars retired slowly on their chairs to the celestial vault; the King's castle lay in darkness and deep silence. At last Berthar began: "The drunken boys of the host lie now asleep; it is time that thou also shouldst think of rest." He went to the sleepers, and shook up the chamberlain, Wolf; the young warrior sprang nimbly to his feet, and accompanied his master to his bed; then he seized his shield and spear, and stood by the old man at the door till the first dawn of daylight appeared in the sky.

On the following day a great hunt was announced. The horses pawed the ground in the open space before the King's hall; the packs of wolf-dogs and hounds barked --- with difficulty held in leashes by the strong foresters. The men collected in joyful crowds, awaiting the King. Ingo also stood with a portion of his followers, leaning on his horse, in expectation of the departure. At last came the King, who loved the forest work still more than a good drink by the hearth; he had on a hunting dress, and a heavy hunting spear in his hand. The horns sounded the morning greeting. He approached Ingo in a friendly way, and asked aloud, "How was thy night's rest, cousin? I had not heard before that thou was a blood-friend of the Queen's from the time of your fathers; thou art welcome as a relation also at my court."

The King's men listened to the words, and looked at one another with astonishment. But Ingo answered respectfully, "I thank the King for greeting me so graciously."

"Come on," continued Bisino; "try the strength of thy spear by our side today." He mounted his horse, the gate flew open, the bridge was swung down, and the hounds started out into the open ground --- behind them the horsemen. Ingo's horse also pranced joyfully, rejoicing, like his master, in having the free ground under his feet. He rode by the King, who scrutinized the noble figure and the firm strength with which Ingo restrained his powerful hunting horse. Sometimes he called him to his side, and spoke to him confidentially, as to an old comrade, so that one of the King's boys whispered to another, "Why does the cat announce the mouse as his wife's cousin, when he holds it in his claws?"

But that was not the King's intention. He was pleased with Ingo, and, besides, had heard favorable words concerning him from the Queen, and also from his young son, who was his dearest object on earth. And the King thought, he is truly a cheerful companion, and it makes one glad to see him; why should I not show him kindness, so long as I can keep him among the living? There are others whose death would be more convenient to me. Thus his graciousness came really from his heart, and he listened with amusement to Ingo's account of the strength of a lion which he had seen in a cage of the Allemann king's.

Soon the hunting companions entered into a higher oak wood. Hitherto the eyes of the Queen had looked after them from the battlements of her tower. Now she called to her chamberlain and women, and descended into the empty court. She stopped, to the astonishment of her attendants, at the kitchen, and spoke a few words about the roast for the feast to the cook, who seldom enjoyed such an honor, and gladly promised to employ his best skill in preparing the dishes for the hunting repast. When she came to the hall where the strangers lodged, she heard the strokes of a hammer. Berthar was sitting at the door, sharpening the iron of his spear with a hammer on a stone, and singing, in a low tone, a good incantation for sharp iron. The Queen stopped, made a sign of command to her followers to retire, and stood near the steps, watching the man at his work; till at last the latter looked up, threw away his skin apron and the hammer, and approached the Queen, doing homage. "What game dost thou think of slaying with thy weapons, Hero of King Ingo?" inquired Queen Gisela, "that thou remainest in the castle while the hounds are running outside?"

"I am sharpening my store for another hunting cry," replied Berthar; "reports of the King's pleasure in hunting are far spread in the land."

"Unwillingly will thy lord do without his old companion in the forest."

"My master can easily slay the game which springs in the light of the sun, with only his boys; I will not fail him at the wolf-chase in the night."

The Queen fixed her eyes upon him, and went some steps nearer. " 'Tis not for the first time that I see thee, Berthar; since then the white hairs have come upon thy head, but I know thee again."