; he
has his hirelings everywhere, in forests, in palaces, in dungeons, in
barracks, everywhere. And this traitor has mingled thorn-apple juice in
the drink of his comrades and they will now sleep on for a night and a
day. The traitor himself is pretending to sleep along with his fellows
but he is only awaiting the arrival of Fatia Negra and then up he will
get and release the captives. It was an artful dodge, your honour!"

Szilard felt a tremor running through all his limbs.

"You see, sir, you are here alone, but Fatia Negra is never alone. But
so far no great harm has been done. We will make him to be alone also.
We cannot find out just now which of the four and twenty is a traitor.
But we will bind the whole four and twenty hand and foot, and then the
traitor also will be helpless."

Szilard began to perceive that this blind man was right in everything.
His words must be listened to, for the danger was close at hand, there
was no time for hesitation. So he quickly routed up all the halters in
the mill and they set to work.

The blind giant laid the pandurs one by one across his knee and placing
their hands behind their backs crosswise held them towards Szilard, who
bound them fast. Three and twenty of them felt nothing of all this and
the four and twentieth who did feel it thought it just as well to go on
feigning slumber, for had it been discovered that he was awake one grip
of those enormous fists would have made of him a sleeper indeed--for
ever more.

"Is your sword sharp, sir?" enquired the blind man when this piece of
work was done.

"Yes, and I have pistols likewise."

"Test them, sir, for I suspect they have been tampered with."

"What?"

"If ever, sir, you have pursued some wild beast, a bear or a buffalo,
for instance, you know the rule surely: never rely upon any weapon which
has not been freshly loaded by your own hand. Let us take the loading
out of your pistols. It won't do to fire them off for we are lying in
wait for big game and at such times one must keep very quiet."

Szilard hearkened to the warning and drew the loading out of both his
well charged pistols. It is usual when the powder is taken out to blow
down the barrel and as he did so now he remarked that something was
wrong. The ramrod encountered some soft substance which he drew forth.
Juon smelt it and pronounced it to be the wax of wild bees.

"You see, sir, you will not be able to discharge this pistol, for the
touch holes