"Surely," he replied, "but we here on the east side believe we are out of danger. Only over there on the other side it isn't safe; the dikes there are mostly made more after old patterns; our chief dike was made in the last century. We got chilly outside a while ago; and you," he added, "probably had the same experience. But we have to hold out a few hours longer here; we have reliable people outside, who report to us." And before I could give my order to the host, a steaming glass was pushed in front of me. I soon found out that my pleasant neighbour was the dikemaster; we entered into conversation, and I began to tell him about my strange encounter on the dike. He grew attentive, and I noticed suddenly that all talk round about was silenced. "The rider on the white horse," cried one of the company and a movement of fright stirred the others. The dikemaster had risen. "You don't need to be afraid," he spoke across the table, "that isn't meant for us only; in the year '17 it was meant for them too; may they be ready for the worst!" Now a horror came over me. "Pardon me!" I said. "What about this rider on the white horse?" Apart from the others, behind the stove, a small, haggard man in a little worn black coat sat somewhat bent over; one of his shoulders seemed a little deformed. He had not taken part with a single word in the conversation of the others, but his eyes, fringed as they were with dark lashes, although the scanty hair on his head was grey, showed clearly that he was not sitting there to sleep. Toward him the dikemaster pointed: "Our schoolmaster," he said, raising his voice, "will be the one among us who can tell you that best--to be sure, only in his way, and not quite as accurately as my old housekeeper at home, Antje Vollmans, would manage to tell it." "You are joking, dikemaster!" the somewhat feeble voice of the schoolmaster rose from behind the stove, "if you want to compare me to your silly dragon!" "Yes, that's all right, schoolmaster!" replied the other, "but stories of that kind are supposed to be kept safest with dragons." "Indeed!" said the little man, "in this we are not quite of the same opinion." And a superior smile flitted over his delicate face. "You see," the dikemaster whispered in my ear, "he is still a little proud; in his youth he once studied theology and it was only because of an unhappy courtship that he stayed hanging about his home as schoolmaster." The schoolmaster had meanwhile come forward from his corner by the stove and had sat down beside me at the long table. "Come on! Tell the story, schoolmaster," cried some of the younger members of the party. "Yes, indeed," said the old man, turning toward me. "I will gladly oblige you; but there is a good deal of superstition mixed in with it, and it is quite a feat to tell the story without it." "I must beg you not to leave the superstition out," I replied. "You can trust me to sift the chaff from the wheat by myself!"