and the walls constructed of rough stone work. There was, so far as he could see, no furniture whatever in it, and he imagined that it was an underground cellar, used perh

to think coherently, in spite of a splitting headach

id to himself, at last. "I wonder what

the gang that set upon me. It is evident that someone has betrayed me, probably that Jew, B

he awoke, a faint light was streaming in through a slit, two or three inches wide, high up on the wall. He still felt faint and

e speaking loudly and angrily. He had picked up a few words of Polish from Stanislas--the names of common things, the words to use in case he lost his way, how to ask for food and for stabling fo

ngers," he said to himself. "Probably they want to question me, and find out wh

was poured down his throat. Then he was partly lifted up, and felt a cooling sensation at the back of his head. Some bandages were passed round it, and he was

and not on the bare ground. Opening his eyelids the slightest possible degree, he was confirmed in his belief, by seeing that there was much more lig

ruck. Without opening his eyes, he listened attentively. There was some sound of movement in the room, and, p

as unfurnished as the cellar, but there was a window through which the sun was streaming brightly. He, himself, lay upon a heap of straw. At

ing his guard, he could drop out and make for Allan Ramsay's. As soon as he tried to move, however, he found that this idea was for the present impr

The man came across and spoke, but he made no sign. Some more wine was poured be

e king, the second to find out, by questioning him, who were those with whom he had been in communication, in order that they might be arrested, and their property confiscated. He could see no other reason

ation against him, could he have obtained his own terms. He might intend to gain credit with the royal party, by claiming to have stopped a dangerous plot, and at the same time to benefit himself

g to influence public opinion. Still, it is likely enough that the Jew wants to get me to acknowledge that an insurrection was intended, and will offer me my freedom, if I will give such test

atches of sleep. He was conscious that, from time to time, someone came into the room and spoke to his guard; and that, three or fou

he recognized the voice of one of them as that of Ben Soloman

ou in pain? We have come he

rd, and remained silen

e clumsy fool who hit him would fare badly, if I knew who he was. I said that he was to be k

r said in an apologetic tone. "We will bring hi

ngth. I will get him out of the town, as soon as I can. Allan Ramsay has laid a complaint, before the mayor, that his countryman has be

e of us looked at him, and I could h

say's, where he lies, I am told, dangerously ill, and an official has been to him,

killed three of our party, and the other killed one. A nice business that; and you will have to pay their friends well, Ben Soloman

easy? However, I will do something for the friends of the men who were fools enough to get themselves killed, but if

come again. I do not want to be noticed co

the man said. "It will be long

en away to a safe place outside the town.

does not

ay his body and bury it outsid

't want anyone to know where it is buried,

ould I care about what they say? At any rate, there are some mat

it worth my while to throw away my life,

bet, you have done the work I required. Between us, it is worse than childish to threaten in the present matter. I do not do

lly glad to learn that Stanislas had escaped with his life; for he had taken a great fancy to the

several men who entered the room; then he was lifted, wrapt up in some cloths, and put into a large box. He felt this being hoisted up, it was carried downstairs, and then placed on something. A minute afterwards h

the rumbling ceased, the box was lifted down, and carried a short distance, then the lid was opened and he was again laid down

men were talking in the room, and when, for a moment, their conversation ceased, he gave a low gr

eel?" one ask

in a low tone. "Where a

e been ill, but you will soon get well again. Someone hit y

," Charlie murmured.

red. Take a drink of wine, and see if you can e

it were a great effort to do so, although he had difficulty in restraining himself from eating it voraciously. When he ha

fellow. Wake up and drink

he broth, and then really fell asleep, f

t a blazing fire. When he moved, one of them brought

sant's hut. He wondered why he had been brought there, and concluded that it must be because Allan Ramsa

now, and, in another two or three days, I shall be strong enough to go some distan

e to be there. This man was evidently, from his dress and appearance, a Jew, while the other was as unmistakably a peasant, a rough powerfully-built man with an evil fa

oloman entered. Charlie was now much stronger, but he had carefully abstained from showing any marked improvement, speaking always in a voi

man said, as he came up to his beds

or why I am here. I remember that there was a fray in the street, and I suppose

be a great deal of use to me here," Ben Soloman said. "You know

ad, and looked wonde

life. I only asked if you would use your influence amon

ou want to save your life, you will have to swear too; and you will have to give the names of all concerned in the plot, and to swear that they were all agreed to bring about th

her than make a

ign a document I shall bring with me, with the full particulars of the plot to murder the king, and the names of those concerned in it. This you will sign.

such a villainous do

you find yourself roasting over a slow charcoal fir

. He talked for some time to the men o

nd of a week, you will not find me here; but, if I get a ch

he room, and lie down before the fire. The men were completely deceived by his acting, and, considering any attempt to escape, in hi

blackened appearance of the peasant's face and garments, he guessed him to be a charcoal burne

was able to test his returning strength, assuring himself that, although not yet fully recovered, he was gaining ground daily. He resolved not to wait until the se

king any great distance, and of evading the charcoal burner, who would, on his return, certainly set out in pursuit of him. Moreover, he wished to remain in the hut nearly up to th

brigand was frequently repeated, and, although he could not understand much more than this, he concluded, from the peasant's talk and gestures, that

hed. The presence of brigands was a matter of indifference

go to?" Charlie

hey have to be kept covered up with wet leaves and earth, so that the wood shal

he heavier ones he could have killed the man, but the fellow was only acting under the orders of his employer, and, although he would doubtless, at Ben

lightly, but in the stillness of the forest the

leaped up, exclaiming, "You youn

y raised the club. It described a swift sweep, fell fu

feet securely, and dragged him into the hut. Then he dashed some

sen, but I did not wish to. You have not been unkind to me, and I owe you no grudge; but tel

," the man said, "for he will do

if I were in your place, and a man who meant to kill me came into a lonely hut like thi

out a quarter full of coarse spirits, filled it up with water and put it in his pocket, and then, after taking

ew should believe that he was still weak; but, indeed, the effort of dragging the man into the

e in the soft soil. He followed this until, after about two miles' walking, he came to the edge of the wood. Then he retraced his steps for a quarter of a mile, tu

oal burner carried a heavy axe, while the Jew, whose head was bound up with a cloth, had a long knife in his girdle. They went as far as the end of the forest, and then retraced

g on as far as this," the Jew said. "Wh

and afterwards to drag you in

ed to sit down afterwards, and I watched him out of one eye as he was making his preparations, and he could only just totter about. I would wager you anythi

antern then, for it will b

atch, we shall hear him when he moves, which he is sure to do when it gets dark. It will be a still night,

coal burner said, "or it will be worse for both of us. You know as well

I would not wait here for an

en Soloman's clutches," the charcoal burner said

at would

had happened, and, with my axe, I will cleave his head asunder as he comes in. If he sees me in time to retreat, you shall sta

you then; but, now that you are in it as deep as I am--deeper, indeed, for he put you here

ent for some ti

home which would bri

rn scores of men besides you, for I know that Ben Soloman likes to work with agents he has got under his thumb. But, even if all the papers should be put into the hands of the authorities, what would come of it? They have got their hands full of other matters, for the present, and

ust be done. There is

, I am with you in the business. I have been working for him on starv

y cooked a meal, and then pre

ntil he heard, in the distance, the sound of a horse's tread. Then he went out and s

He heard an angry shout, and then Ben Soloman rode up, and, with a torrent of execrations at the carelessness of the watcher

elf up, as if with an eff

be taken ali

m his girdle. "Drop that stick," he

han being tortured to

was within the swing of Charlie's cudgel before the latter could strike. He droppe

other, and he found that, instead of an unresisting victim, he was

fury at the treatment he had received at the man's hands, however, enabled him, for the moment, to exert himself to the utmost, and, af

His eyes were open in a fixed stare. Charlie looked at him in surprise for a moment, thinking he was stunned, then he saw that his right arm was twisted under him

refused to act as a traitor. I would have broken your head for you, but that was all. However, it is as well as it is. It a

y pockets, it is no robbery to empty yours.

f feet, and in a moment he was seized. The thought flashed through his mind that he had fallen int

Warsaw, to whom two or three of us owe our ruin, and it did not need more than a word for us to agree to wait for him till he came back. We were surprised when we saw you, still more so when the Jew jumped from his horse and

ust as well for him, for we should have tied him to a

ittle of this, but said

nd but litt

-a Russian? You do

king in the house of Allan Rams

t way in which you disposed of this Jew, and possessed

. "My friends in Warsaw will pay a ransom

gh on our backs already. He is a man of great influence, and all his tribe would be pressing on the govern

especially as he knew so little of the language. He therefore shrugged h

ous papers were found upon him, but, as these pr

se with us?" one of th

nd there will be rejoicing in many a mansion throughout the country, when it is known that Ben Soloman is dead. They say he has mortgages on

is forest alone? Let us follow th

everal languages, try then if you c

cess, then he spoke in Swedish, in w

this pathw

last fortnight. It was all the Jew's doing. It was through him that I got th

his was translated to him. "We are short of flour, and they may