pressed the traitors hard, when lo!
horsemen, that had been planted in ambush many hours before, galloped
up, and with these new diabolical engines of war, shot leaden bullets,
and laid many an honest fellow low, and so quelled the courage of others
that they yielded them prisoners. These being taken red-handed, the
victors, who with malice inconceivable had brought cords knotted round
their waists, did speedily hang, and by their side the dead ones, to
make the gallanter show. "That one at the end was the captain. He never
felt the cord. He was riddled with broad arrows and leaden balls or ever
they could take him: a worthy man as ever cried, 'Stand and deliver!'
but a little hasty, not much: stay! I forgot; he is dead. Very hasty,
and obstinate as a pig. That one in the--buff jerkin is the lieutenant,
as good a soul as ever lived: he was hanged alive. This one here, I
never could abide; no (not that one; that is Conrad, my bosom friend); I
mean this one right overhead in the chicken-toed shoon; you were always
carrying tales, ye thief, and making mischief; you know you were; and,
sirs, I am a man that would rather live united in a coppice than in a
forest with backbiters and tale-bearers: strangers, I drink to you."
And so he went down the whole string, indicating with the neck of the
bottle, like a showman with his pole, and giving a neat description of
each, which though pithy was invariably false; for the showman had no
real eye for character, and had misunderstood every one of these people.

"Enough palaver!" cried Denys. "Marchons! Give me his axe: now tell him
he must help you along."

The man's countenance fell, but he saw in Denys's eye that resistance
would be dangerous; he submitted. Gerard it was who objected. He said,
"Y pensez-vous? to put my hand on a thief, it maketh my flesh creep."

"Childishness! all trades must live. Besides, I have my reasons. Be not
you wiser than your elder."

"No. Only if I am to lean on him I must have my hand in my bosom, still
grasping the haft of my knife."

"It is a new attitude to walk in; but please thyself."

And in that strange and mixed attitude of tender offices and deadly
suspicion the trio did walk. I wish I could draw them--I would not trust
to the pen.

The light of the watch-tower at Dusseldorf was visible as soon as they
cleared the wood, and cheered Gerard. When, after an hour's march, the
black outline of the tower itself and other buildings stood out c