ody seen any foreign animals in the
surrounding woods?"

"'Foreign animals,'" repeated mechanically the doleful official.

"And if anywhere you receive the reply that such have been seen, you
are to go through that locality and examine carefully until you get
track of them."

"I beg your pardon, but what kind of animals will they be?" asked the
student, timorously.

"Oh, have no fear, it is neither a seven-headed dragon nor a minotaur.
At the worst a young panther."

"Panther"--stammered Clement in terror.

"You are not expected to catch him," said Csaki, consolingly. "You are
to hunt out where he stays and then let us know."

"Suppose that beast of prey, whose presence in Transylvania I doubt
greatly, should happen to be in the territory of Dionysius Banfy, what
shall I do then?"

"Follow him up."

"I beg your pardon, but his territory is baronial, where my authority
does not extend."

"Don't be such a simpleton, Clement," said Csaki. "I did not say, did
I, that you were to go with an armed guard? The entire expedition must
be kept a secret. You and your guide alone are to get track of the
beast. We have positive information that he is somewhere in this
vicinity. Now a careful investigation is demanded of your skill. The
rest will be given over to more fearless workers."

The entire mission seemed to Clement a very strange one, but he did
not dare make any objection, and bowed with a deep sigh.

"Above everything else, skill, speed, secrecy. These are the three
things that I recommend to your especial consideration."

"I will set out at once, gracious lord, only I must borrow a horse
somewhere first, so I shall not ruin these fine boots with walking."

"That would delay matters. You must not exert yourself about a horse;
one of my servants shall give up his and you can mount that. Don't
forget to think of his fodder, so that you will bring him back
something besides skin and bones."

So much kindness fairly bewildered Clement. In all haste he strapped
on his traveling bag and his rusty sword; and after he had put in the
first a roll of parchment, a pen, and a bottle of ink, declared
himself ready.

"That is a light traveling bag of yours," said Csaki.

"'Integer vitae, scelerisque purus, non eget Mauri jaculis, neque
arcu,'" replied the philosopher, with a quotation from Horace, and,
the reins being handed him, made ready to mount.

But when the spirited steed noticed that the philosophical stud