have been
abandoned a very long time, as trees of considerable size grew
among the low walls and piles of stones that marked where cottages
had stood. The place occupied by the brigands had, in former times,
been a castellated building of some strength, standing on a knoll
in the middle of the village, which had probably been inhabited by
the retainers of its owner. Part of the wall had fallen, but a
large arched room, that had doubtless been the banqueting hall of
the castle, remained almost intact, and here the brigands had
established themselves. Several fires burned on the flagged floors,
the smoke finding its way out through holes and crevices in the
roof. Some fifty men were gathered round these, and were occupied
in cooking their midday meal.

"I am glad to see that you have arrived," the captain said, coming
across to Charlie. "I expected you two hours ago, and intended, as
soon as we had finished our meal, to send out another four men to
meet you and help to carry you in."

"Thank you," Charlie said. "It is not the men's fault we are late,
but the last part of the way we came on very slowly. I was getting
so exhausted that I had to stop every few hundred yards."

"Well, you had better eat something, and then lie down for a sleep.
Meat is plentiful with us, for there are thousands of goats in the
forest, and occasionally we get a deer or wild boar. If we had but
bread and wine we should live like nobles. Our supplies, however,
are low at present, and we shall have to make an expedition,
tomorrow or next day, to replenish them."

Charlie ate a few mouthfuls of meat, and then lay down and slept,
for some hours, on a bed of leaves. He was awoke by loud and
excited talking among the men, and learnt from Honred that one of
the men, who had been left on watch at the mouth of the path by
which he had entered the forest, had just brought in the news that
a party of a hundred infantry, led by the Jew, had arrived with a
cart. In this the body of Ben Soloman had been sent off, while the
troops had established themselves in the little clearing round the
hut.

"This comes of letting that Jew escape," the captain said. "No
doubt he told the story his own way, and the Jewish traders went to
the governor and asked that troops should be sent to root us out.
Well, they are far enough away at present, and I have sent off to
have their movements watched. It is a good nine miles, from here to
the hut, and they may look for