Before entering the rocky pass, the knight, with a prayer and thanksgiving, looked back once more at the castle of Drontheim.
There it was, so vast and quiet and peaceful; the bright windows of the chaplain's high chamber yet lighted up by the last gleam of the sun, which had already disappeared.In front of Sintram was the gloomy valley, as if his grave.Then there came towards him some one riding on a small horse; and Skovmark, who had gone up to the stranger as if to find out who he was, now ran back with his tail between his legs and his ears put back, howling and whining, and crept, terrified, under his master's war-horse.But even the noble steed appeared to have forgotten his once so fearless and warlike ardour.He trembled violently, and when the knight would have turned him towards the stranger, he reared and snorted and plunged, and began to throw himself backwards.It was only with difficulty that Sintram's strength and horsemanship got the better of him; and he was all white with foam when Sintram came up to the unknown traveller.
"You have cowardly beasts with you," said the latter, in a low, smothered voice.
Sintram was unable, in the ever-increasing darkness, rightly to distinguish what kind of being he saw before him; only a very pallid face, which at first he had thought was covered with freshly fallen snow, met his eyes from amidst the long hanging garments.It seemed that the stranger carried a small box wrapped up; his little horse, as if wearied out, bent his head down towards the ground, whereby a bell, which hung from the wretched torn bridle under his neck, was made to give a strange sound.After a short silence, Sintram replied: "Noble steeds avoid those of a worse race, because they are ashamed of them; and the boldest dogs are attacked by a secret terror at sight of forms to which they are not accustomed.I have no cowardly beasts with me.""Good, sir knight; then ride with me through the valley.""I am going through the valley, but I want no companions.""But perhaps I want one.Do you not see that I am unarmed? And at this season, at this hour, there are frightful, unearthly beasts about."Just then, as though to confirm the awful words of the stranger, a thing swung itself down from one of the nearest trees, covered with hoar-frost,--no one could say if it were a snake or a lizard,--it curled and twisted itself, and appeared about to slide down upon the knight or his companion.Sintram levelled his spear, and pierced the creature through.But, with the most hideous contortions, it fixed itself firmly on the spear-head; and in vain did the knight endeavour to rub it off against the rocks or the trees.Then he let his spear rest upon his right shoulder, with the point behind him, so that the horrible beast no longer met his sight; and he said, with good courage, to the stranger, "It does seem, indeed, that I could help you, and I am not forbidden to have an unknown stranger in my company; so let us push on bravely into the valley!""Help!" so resounded the solemn answer; "not help.I perhaps may help thee.But God have mercy upon thee if the time should ever come when I could no longer help thee.Then thou wouldst be lost, and Ishould become very frightful to thee.But we will go through the valley--I have thy knightly word for it.Come!"They rode forward; Sintram's horse still showing signs of fear, the faithful dog still whining; but both obedient to their master's will.
The knight was calm and steadfast.The snow had slipped down from the smooth rocks, and by the light of the rising moon could be seen various strange twisted shapes on their sides, some looking like snakes, and some like human faces; but they were only formed by the veins in the rock and the half-bare roots of trees, which had planted themselves in that desert place with capricious firmness.High above, and at a great distance, the castle of Drontheim, as if to take leave, appeared again through an opening in the rocks.The knight then looked keenly at his companion, and he almost felt as if Weigand the Slender were riding beside him.
