a wood.

"How far are we from Erfurt, now?"

"About five miles."

"That will do very well. I have some business to do there, and can
go and come back by the afternoon."

In a quarter of an hour they arrived at the man's house. It was but
a small place.

"Not much to rob here," his host said grimly. "They have taken my
two cows, and all my poultry. My horse only escaped because they
did not think him fit for anything.

"This is a stranger, wife," he went on, as a woman rose, in some
alarm, from a stool upon which she was crouching by the fire. "He
will stop here for the night and, though there is little enough to
offer him, at least we can make him welcome."

He took a torch from the corner of the room, lighted it at the
fire, and went out.

"You are right about your horse, my friend," he said; "and it is
small chance you would have of taking him back with you, if any of
these fellows set eyes on him. I see your saddlery hardly matches
with your horse."

Fergus had indeed, before starting, taken off his saddle and other
military equipments; and had replaced them with a common country
saddle and bridle, adding a pair of rough wallets and the commonest
of horse cloths, so as to disguise the animal as much as possible.

"I am sorry that I cannot give you a feed for the animal," the man
went on; "but I have none, and my horse has to make shift with what
he can pick up."

"I have one of my wallets full. I baited the horse at inns, as I
came along. He may as well have a feed, before I take him out into
the wood."

He poured a good feed onto a flat stone. As he did so, the
peasant's horse lifted up his head and snuffed the air.

"You shall have some too, old boy," Fergus said; and going across,
was about to empty some on to the ground before it, when its owner,
taking off his hat, held it out.

"Put it into this," he said. "It is seldom, indeed, that he gets
such a treat; and I would not that he should lose a grain."

Fergus poured a bountiful feed into the hat.

"Now," he said, "I can supplement your supper, as well as your
horse's;" and from the other wallet he produced a cold leg of pork,
that Karl had put in before he started; together with three loaves;
and two bottles of wine, carefully done up in straw.

The peasant looked astonished, as Fergus took these out and placed
them upon the table.

"No, no, sir," he said, "we cannot take your food in that way."

"You are heartily welcome to it," Ferg