And the Yeah, Welcome back everyone to 1001 classic short stories and tales. This is your host John

Hagadorn. Today a story from the Master of Mystery Robert Barr. This one's called

converted. I hope you enjoy it.

In the ample stone-paved courtyard of the Schlosh-Gruenwald, with its mysterious bubbling spring in the center center stood the black baron beside his

restive horse both equally eager to be away. Round the baron were grouped to

16 knights and their saddle chargers, all waiting the word to mount.

The warder was slowly opening the huge gates that hung between the two round entrance towers

of the castle, for it was the Baron's custom never to ride out at the head of his men until the great

leaves of the strong gate fell full apart and showed the green landscape beyond.

The Baron did not propose to ride unthinkingly out and straightway fall into an ambush.

He and his sixteen knights were the terror of the countryside,

and many there were who would have been glad to venture a bow shot at him had they dared.

There seemed to be some delay about the opening of the gates and a great chattering of underlings

at the entrance as if something unusual had occurred.

Whereupon the rough voice of the Baron roared out to know the cause that kept him waiting,

and everyone scattered, each to his own affair, leaving only the warder who approached his master with fear in his face.

My lord, he began, when the Baron had shouted with the devil ailed him.

There has been nailed against the outer gate, sometime in the night a parchment with characters

written thereon.

Then tear it down and bring it to me,ried the marin what's all this to do about a bit of parchment

The water had been loathed to meddle with it and terror of that witchcraft which he knew pertained to all written characters, but he feared the

black barons frown even more than the fiends who had undoubtedly nailed the documents on the

...