y of finishing my journey. So if you will
untie me, and can find it in your hearts to give me back my horse--or at
worst to let me go afoot,--I will cry quits, and give you my word of
honour to forget you completely."

"You speak well, young gentleman: but it's not to us that you need
speak. We shall be taking you presently to one you can make proposals
to."

"Why should you waste time in taking me to your leader, when you are
quite able to make terms yourselves?" said I. "Come. I can offer him no
more than I can offer you. Suppose it were a hundred crowns: he would
have the lion's share of it, and you poor fellows would get but a small
part. If I deal with you alone, he need be never the wiser, and you will
have the whole sum to divide among you."

"And how would you get the five hundred crowns?"

"I said one hundred: I would get them by going for them: I would give
you my promise on the honour of a gentleman."

The ruffians laughed. "No," said the one who had spoken most. "You would
have to stay with us, and send for them. And our leader is the one to
manage that. He will make you a fine, fair offer, no doubt."

My heart sank. I tried persuasion, but nothing could move them.
Doubtless each was afraid of the others, or they were very strongly
under the dominion of their chief.

I asked them to give me back my keys, whereupon one of them put the keys
in his own wallet. They finished the food and drink, and made ready to
depart. Their preparations consisted mainly of blindfolding me with a
thick band of cloth, putting me on my horse, and tying together under
the animal's belly the ropes that bound my ankles. Then a man mounted
behind me, I heard another take the rein to lead, the horse was turned
around several times so as to confuse my sense of direction, and we set
off. We presently crossed a stream, and a little later I knew by sound
and smell that we were in the forest. When we had traversed a part of
it, the horse was again turned around twice or thrice, and we continued
on our way. All the time I was thinking of her who waited for me in the
darkness of her tomb-like prison.

At last, by feeling the sun upon me and by other signs, I knew that we
had come to a space clear of trees. We stopped a moment, and I heard
calls exchanged and a gate opened; and then my horse's feet passed from
turf to a very rough, irregular pavement. The sound of horses in their
stalls at one side, the cooing of pigeons at the other