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There were three stools standing by the side of the three barrack beds, each placed in a corner of the room. These they carried to the table. The others waited to see upon which side Fergus placed his. He put it down on one side. "Excuse me, major," Stauffen said, changing it putting him facing the fire, and placing his own on one side, while his companion was opposite to him.
Then, throwing his glove to the ground, he charged him who should raise it to bear it to Peter, King of Aragon, to whom, as his nearest relative, he bequeathed all his claims. The glove was raised by Henry, Truchsess von Waldberg, who found in it the seal ring of the unfortunate wearer. Thence-forth he bore in his arms the three black lions of the Stauffen.
To his disgust the two officers rose and saluted formally, as he came in. "We wish," Captain Stauffen said, "to express to you our deep regret at the unworthy way in which we received your request, this morning, to lay aside the distinction of rank while we are prisoners here. We were both under an error.
"I was never less so, Ritzer;" and he then gave them an account of the manner in which Fergus had obtained his promotion. The two officers were silent when Ronsfeldt concluded. "We have made fools of ourselves," Stauffen said at last, "and we must apologize, Ritzer." "Certainly we must," the other agreed heartily.
"You are with Stauffen and Ritzer, are you not, major?" the latter said. "I have a brother in the same regiment, and so know them. How do you get on with them?" "At present they are rather stiff and distant, and insist upon treating me as the senior officer; which is absurd when we are prisoners, and they are both some fifteen years older than I am. I detest that sort of thing.
Thus their manner towards him had been even more stiff and ceremonious than usual. "Do you think, then," Stauffen said, "that there is any chance of our making our escape?" "Oh, I have not had time to think about it, yet!" Fergus laughed.
"You are not really in earnest, Drummond," Stauffen said, "in what you say about escaping?" "I am quite in earnest about getting away, if I see a chance; though I admit that, at present, the matter seems a little difficult." "Perhaps if you will tell us about your escape from Spielberg, we shall be able to get a hint from it."
I hope you both smoke." Stauffen and his companion, whose name was Ritzer, both did so. "I am glad of that," Fergus said. "I think it is very cheery and sociable when everyone smokes, but certainly when only two out of three do, it looks somehow as if the one who does not is left out in the cold.
"I should not have thought of that," Stauffen said. "Yes, I can see that if we were escaping through this door, which seems to me impossible, that it would be an advantage;" and he glanced at his companion, as if to say that there was more in this fortunate young officer than they had thought.
"So was the taking of the post horses," Stauffen agreed, "and your getting a disguise from the postmaster. I should like to have seen the Austrian's look of surprise, when he got his uniform back again. "I am afraid that your adventures do not afford us any hint for getting away from here.
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