Volume Ii Part 25 (1/2)

There was no place now in Meulestee for any but the two evil and cruel men. The timid dwellers in the village saw them by day insolent and noting the houses of future victims, drawing up the lists of death; and by night venturing from the Falcon singing filthy choruses, while two catchpolls, drunk like them, followed them armed to the teeth to be their escort.

Ulenspiegel went in den Blauwe Gans, to the Blue Goose, to Joos Lansaem, who was at the bar.

Ulenspiegel took from his pocket a little flask of brandy, and said to him:

”Boelkin has two casks for sale.”

”Come into my kitchen,” said the baes.

There, shutting the door, and looking fixedly at him:

”You are no brandy merchant; what do these winkings of your eyes mean? Who are you?”

Ulenspiegel replied:

”I am the son of Claes that was burned at Damme; the ashes of the dead man beat upon my breast; I would fain kill Spelle, the murderer.”

”It is Boelkin who sends you?” asked the host.

”Boelkin sends me,” replied Ulenspiegel. ”I will kill Spelle; you shall help me in it.”

”I will,” said the baes. ”What must I do?”

Ulenspiegel replied:

”Go to the cure, the good pastor, an enemy to Spelle. a.s.semble your friends together and be with them to-morrow, after the curfew, on the Everghem road, above Spelle's house, between the Falcon and the house aforesaid. All post yourselves in the shadows and have no white on your clothes. At the stroke of ten you will see Spelle coming out from the tavern and a wagon coming from the other side.

”Do not tell your friends to-night; they sleep too near to their wives'

ears. Go and find them to-morrow. Come, now, listen to everything closely and remember well.”

”We shall remember,” said Joos. And raising his goblet: ”I drink to Spelle's halter.”

”To the halter,” said Ulenspiegel. Then he went back with the baes into the tavern chamber where there sate drinking certain old clothes merchants of Ghent who were coming back from the Sat.u.r.day market at Bruges, where they had sold for high prices doublets and short mantles of cloth of gold and silver bought for a few sous from ruined n.o.bles who desired by their luxury and splendour to imitate the Spaniards.

And they kept revels and feasting because of their big profits.

Ulenspiegel and Joos Lansaem, sitting in a corner, as they drank, and without being heard, agreed that Joos should go to the cure of the church, a good pastor, incensed against Spelle, the murderer of innocent men. After that he would go to his friends.

On the morrow, Joos Lansaem and Michielkin's friends, having been forewarned, left the Blauwe Gans, where they had their pints as usual, and so as to conceal their plans went off at curfew by different ways, and came to the Everghem causeway. They were seventeen in number.

At ten o'clock Spelle left the Falcon, followed by his two catchpolls and Pieter de Roose. Lansaem and his troop were hidden in the barn belonging to Samson Boene, a friend of Michielkin. The door of the barn was open. Spelle never saw them.

They heard him pa.s.s by, staggering with drink like Pieter de Roose and his two catchpolls also, and saying, in a thick voice and with many hiccups:

”Provosts! provosts! life is good to them in this world; hold me up, gallows birds that live on my leavings!”

Suddenly were heard upon the road, from the direction of the open country, the braying of an a.s.s and the crack of a whip.

”There is a restive donkey indeed,” said Spelle, ”that won't go on in spite of that good warning.”