ess and the fiery flashes. Lenore
could now trace the trunk of the nearest trees. The feeling of
solitariness oppressed her more and more. Just then she heard again the
distant sound of human voices, call and counter-call grew louder, and
the bailiff's voice cried, "They went beyond the quarry; look yonder,
you Neudorf men." The steps of the speakers drew near, and Karl, making
a speaking trumpet of his hands, shouted with all his might, "Halloa,
hillo hoa, Fraeulein Lenore!"

"Here I am," cried a female voice at his very feet.

Karl started back in amazement, and joyfully called out, "Found!" The
peasants surrounded Lenore's shelter.

"Our young lady is here!" cried a youth of Neudorf, and hurraed in his
delight as though he were at a wedding.

Lenore rose; her foot still pained her; but, leaning on Karl's arm, she
exerted herself bravely to walk. Meanwhile the young men broke down a
few poles, and laid fir branches across them. In spite of her
resistance, Lenore was constrained to seat herself upon the rude litter,
while some ran on to the bailiff's stable to get her horse ready for
her.

"Have you found the thieves?" inquired Lenore from Karl, who walked at
her side.

"Two of them," replied he. "The calf had been killed; we have got its
skin and part of its flesh. The geese were hanging up on a bough, with
their necks wrung, but the rascals had divided the money. We found very
little of it on our prisoners."

"Those we have caught are Tarow men," said the bailiff, anxiously; "the
worst in the village. And yet I wish they were any where but here, for
there are some desperately revengeful fellows yonder."

"I heard shots," inquired Lenore, further; "was any harm done?"

"Not to us," answered Karl. "In their foolhardiness they made a fire,
not much beyond the border where our riders formed a <i>cordon</i>. The
embers were glimmering in spite of the rain, and thus they betrayed
themselves. We dismounted, crept near, and surprised them. They fired
their guns and ran into the bush. There the darkness swallowed them up.
It was a long time before the party on foot could join us, and but for
the shots and the noise they would never have found us out. Herr von
Fink described to us the place where we should meet with you. He is
taking the prisoners with him to the estate, and to-morrow we will send
them farther."

"But to think that Herr von Fink should have left you thus alone in the
wood!" said the worthy bailiff