he is
the wife of the scrivener looks after him, and in the evening he comes
and fetches me home again. Whatever is given me by charitable wayfarers
I share with my poor hostess, who is poorer than any beggar. Yesterday
something happened. It was this. I was sitting outside there at the end
of the bridge and as I had not heard a human voice about me for a long
time and it was extremely hot, slumber weighed heavily upon me. I
struggled hard against it but it was too much for me. I was afraid that
if I fell across the road a cart might go over me. So I laid myself down
under the arch of the bridge. I knew the place well for I had often
sheltered there from the storm. Suddenly I was awakened by those
familiar footsteps. They passed across the bridge over my head. I will
take my oath that it was he. He stood still in the middle of the bridge.
Shortly afterwards I heard the sound of many more footsteps coming, some
from the left and some from the right. Men were coming in all directions
towards the bridge, and there in the middle of it they stood; I counted
them--there were four and twenty of them."

Szilard now began to listen attentively.

"Then he spoke. Oh, even if I had had the light of both my eyes, I could
not have seen him so plainly before me as I saw him in my blindness when
I heard him speak. It was indeed he, at the very first word I recognized
him; but when I tell you what he said, then you also will recognize him
Domnule. Those four and twenty men are a sworn confederacy. It was a
secret plot they were hatching at that place, where nobody could
surprise them, as it is girt about with woods on every side. He called
his companions here to tell them of the measures that were being taken
against them. He told them they had no need to fear all that the six
counties were doing but that the little band which was zig-zagging
through the whole district was greatly to be feared. It was the cause of
all the mischief and must be put out of the way. But his comrades made
no reply. They grumbled and muttered among themselves and at last they
said that this would be a difficult thing to do. They all said they
would not tackle the _pandurs_ because they were better shots than any
robber and were used to hunting and all its wiles. In vain were all the
assurances of Fatia Negra; they said they meant to hide away as best
they could. 'Then hide and be d----d to you,' said their leader, 'I will
tackle them single-handed. I'll see