fore me. It would, indeed, have been a puzzling question
which of us more surprised the other; however, as I can render no
accurate account of _his_ sensations on seeing me, I must content myself
with recording mine on beholding him, and the best way to do so is
to describe him. He was a man, or a boy--Heaven knows which--of
something under the middle size, dressed in rags of every colour
and shape; his old white hat was crushed and bent into some faint
resemblance of a chapeau, and decorated with a cockade of dirty ribbons
and a cock's feather; a little white jacket, such as men-cooks wear in
the kitchen, and a pair of flaming crimson-plush shorts, cut above the
knee, and displaying his naked legs, with sabots, formed his costume. A
wooden sword was attached to an old belt round his waist--an ornament
of which he seemed vastly proud, and which from time to time he regarded
with no small satisfaction.

'Holloa!' cried he, starting back, as he stood some six paces off, and
gazed at me with most unequivocal astonishment; then recovering his
self-possession long before I could summon mine, he said, 'Bonjour,
bonjour, camarade! a fine day for the vintage.'

'No better,' said I; 'but come a little nearer, and do me the favour to
untie these cords.'

'Ah, are you long fastened up there?'

'The whole night,' said I, in a lamentable accent, hoping to move his
compassion the more speedily.

'What fun!' said he, chuckling. 'Were there many squirrels about?'

'Thousands of them. But, come, be quick and undo this, and I 'll tell
you all about it.'

'Gently, gently,' said he, approaching with great caution about six
inches nearer me. 'When did the rabbits come out? Was it before day?'

'Yes, yes, an hour before. But I'll tell you everything when I 'm loose.
Be alive now, do!'

'Why did you tie yourself so fast?' said he eagerly, but not venturing
to come closer.

'Confound the fellow!' said I passionately. 'I didn't tie myself; it was
the--the----

'Ah, I know; it was the mayor, old Pierre Bogout. Well, well, he knows
best when you ought to be set free. Bonjour,' and with that he began
once more his infernal tune, and set out on his way as if nothing had
happened; and though I called, prayed, swore, promised, and threatened
with all my might, he never turned his head, but went on capering as
before, and soon disappeared in the dark wood.

For a full hour, passion so completely mastered me that I could
do nothing but