t in the only place we were dry," exclaimed Paul.

"Yes," comforted Fritz, "but my shoe is on, so it is well that we did
sit down."

"But there was no need for us all to sit down. If you had taken a seat
at first, we could have kept dry."

"But see! the light is still there. Let us hurry. Oh, how glad I am to
know that we will see people."

They soon reached a small, dark cabin, old and dilapidated, yet it was
shelter; and they rejoiced that they had found it. As they neared it,
they smelled the welcome odor of frying sausage.

The only light that came through the one little window was from the
small fire on the hearth and in this dim light the boys saw two figures
bending over the fire, and one by the door, which stood slightly ajar.

Only a few more steps and they were up to the door, and there stood the
butcher-boy with knife in hand. Fritz felt that the knife was already at
his throat. He fell back upon Franz, and Franz upon Paul, and they were
about to flee.

"Here are the three stubborn little tramps that would not beg, but are
willing to eat what we begged. But come in, boys, and keep quiet, or
some prying forester will come along and drive us out in the rain."

The boys drew back, for they were startled and distressed at having run
directly into the lion's claws.

"Come in, you simpletons! Are you afraid that I will kill you?"

"No wonder they are afraid when you are flourishing that big knife,"
said the basket-maker. "Come in, boys. He has it only to cut our meat
and bread. He would not use it on a person because he knows he would
have to suffer for it."

The boys were afraid of them all, but night was coming on, it was
raining, and there seemed nothing else to do, so they stepped in,
followed by Pixy, who had sniffed the odor of sausage.

"Now you can set the table. The sausage is done," said the blacksmith,
and while the butcher shut the door, the basket-maker hung his coat
across the little window to hide the light from outside, and more fuel
was piled on the fire, which soon blazed up and brightened the dingy
place.

A newspaper was placed in the centre of the floor and a large paper bag
was emptied of its contents upon it, a motley mess of bread, brown and
white, scraps of meat, cheese and other things they had begged.

"Now fall to, yellow bills," said the butcher to the triplets. "Your
money bought this sausage, and you have a right to share it," and he
gave them a liberal supply on slic