e.

"You need not heed that hint, Mr. Anton," continued Karl. "All over the
world drunken rascals have a trick of threatening fire; and, after all,
with reverence be it said, it would be no great harm. And now, Mr.
Anton, that we are by ourselves, let us think as little as possible
about this Polish affair--let us set to and be comfortable."

"I'm all right," said Anton, drawing a chair to the stove. The wood
crackled in the green tiles, and the red glare threw a warm light over
the floor, and flickered pleasantly on the walls.

"The warmth does one good," said Anton; "but do you not perceive smoke?"

"Of course," replied Karl, who was boring round holes in the potatoes by
the firelight. "Even the best stoves will smoke at the beginning of
winter, till they get accustomed to their work, and this great green
fellow has probably not seen fire for a generation, so it is not to be
expected that he should draw kindly at once. Be so good as to cut a bit
of bread and hold it to the fire. I am getting our candles ready." He
took out a great packet of candles, stuck one into each potato, cut off
the lower half, and placed them on the table, and then produced the
japanned case. "This is inexhaustible," said he; "it will last till the
day after to-morrow."

"That it will," said Anton, cheerily. "I am wonderfully hungry. And now
let us consider how we shall manage our housekeeping. What we absolutely
want we must get from the town; I will make a list at once. We will put
out one candle, though--we must be economical."

The evening was spent in plans. Karl discovered that he could make part
of the necessary furniture out of the boxes and boards about, and the
laughter of the two companions sounded cheerfully through the rooms of
the starost's dwelling. At last Anton proposed that they should go to
bed. They shook down straw and hay, unbuckled their portmanteaus, and
produced some blankets and coverlets. Karl fastened a lock that he had
brought with him into the room door, examined the loading of his
carbine, took up his potato, and said, with a military salute, "At what
time does major general the agent wish to be called to-morrow?"

"You good fellow!" cried Anton, reaching out his hand from his straw
bed.

Karl went into the next room, which he had chosen for himself. Soon both
candles were extinguished--the first signs of life which had shone for
years in the forsaken dwelling. But in the stove the little Kobolds of
the c