nk--thought of the character of his friend, which always impressed,
but often angered him. Would he love her in return, and would he allow
himself to be bound? "Poor Lenore!" he sighed.

In this way Anton stood till the bright aspect of the northern horizon
passed over to the east, and thence a pale gray spread over the sky, the
chilly forerunner of the rising sun. Then Anton looked once more at the
landscape round him. He could hardly count the enemy's sentinels, who
surrounded the castle in pairs, and here and there a scythe shone in the
brightening light. Bending down, he woke the man, who had gone to sleep
on the flags stained by his comrade's blood; then he went to the
guard-room, threw himself on the straw that the forester carefully shook
down for him, and fell asleep just as the lark soared from the dewy
ground, by its joyous call to summon forth the sun.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

After an hour the forester woke the sleeper. Anton started up and looked
round, stupefied at the unfamiliar scene.

"It is almost a sin to disturb you," said the good old man; "all is
quiet outside, only the enemy's cavalry have gone off to Rosmin."

"Gone off!" cried Anton; "then we are free."

"Except for the foot-folks," said the forester, "and they are still two
to one of us. They hold us fast. And I have something else to say. There
is no more water in the butt. Our men have drunk half of it, the rest
was thrown on the fire. For my part, I can do without it, but the castle
is full of men, and they will hardly get through the day without a
drink."

Anton sprang up. "This is a melancholy good-morning, my old friend."

"The well is broken," continued the old man; "but how if we were to send
some of the women to the brook? The sentinels would not do much to the
women; perhaps they would not prevent them from getting a few bucketfuls
of water."

"A few buckets would not do much for us," replied Anton.

"They would raise the spirits," said the old man; "they would have to be
shared. Were Rebecca here, she would get us the water. We must try what
we can do with the others. Those confounded fellows are not bad to
women, if they be but bold. If you approve, I will see what I can make
of some of our girls."

The forester called down to the kitchen--"Suska!" The young Pole sprang
up stairs.

"Listen to me, Suska," said the forester, anxiously; "when, the baron
awakes, he will call for his hot water; all the water in the castle