They determined therefore to
return home on foot. Leading the horse after him by the bridle, the
knight supported the tottering girl with his other hand. Bertalda
exerted all her strength to pass quickly through the fearful valley,
but weariness weighed her down like lead and every limb trembled,
partly from the terror she had endured when Kuehleborn had pursued her,
and partly from her continued alarm at the howling of the storm and
the pealing of the thunder through the wooded mountain.
At last she slid from the supporting arm of her protector, and,
sinking down on the moss, exclaimed, "Let me lie here, my noble lord;
I suffer the punishment due to my folly, and I must now perish here
anyhow through weariness and dread."
"No, sweet friend, I will never leave you!" cried Huldbrand, vainly
endeavoring to restrain his furious steed; for, worse than before, it
now began to foam and rear with excitement, till at last the knight
was glad to keep the animal at a sufficient distance from the
exhausted maiden to save her from increasing fear. But scarcely had he
withdrawn a few paces with the wild steed than she began to call after
him in the most pitiful manner, believing that he was really going to
leave her in this horrible wilderness. He was utterly at a loss what
course to take. Gladly would he have given the excited beast its
liberty and have allowed it to rush away into the night and spend
its fury, had he not feared that in this narrow defile it might come
thundering with its iron-shod hoofs over the very spot where Bertalda
lay.
Pages:
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604