And I smiled thereat.
For I thought that now I came in other circumstances--aye, even though riding in at The tail of the learned Doctor Schmidt with my shaven and chestnut-stained face, my flowing hair cropped to the roots, as in the manner of the servant tribe! Yet for all that was I not the virtual military commander of the Plassenburg and the right hand of the Prince, whose forces would soon be clamoring against the walls of Thorn and bringing down to destruction the hateful tyranny of the Black Duke Casimir?
"What is that ?" said I, pointing to a standard of immense size which drooped from the Red Tower.

It had been hanging limp and straight about the staff, and till now we had not observed it.

But as we went toiling up to the Weiss Thor, and the last links of road lengthened themselves indefinitely out before us in their own familiar manner, suddenly a waft of hot wind from the sun-beaten plain of the Wolfmark blew out an immense black flag, which spread itself, fluttered feebly, and died down again flat against the pole.
"Nay," said the Doctor, "that I cannot tell.

Surely you should know the customs of your own city better than I!" For the heat had made the High Chancellor a little snappish, as well perhaps as the length of the way.
"Never in my time have I seen such a thing float above the Red Tower," I made answer.

"Can it be a flag of pestilence ?" It seemed a likely thing enough.