young Wallachian, with long plaited hair, confronted the Decurio.
He was evidently intoxicated, and replied, striking his breast with
his fist: "_I_ said so."

Scarcely had the words escaped his lips, than the Decurio, raising his
left hand, severed the contradictor's head at one stroke from his
body; and as it fell back, the lifeless trunk dropped on its knees
before the Decurio, with its arms round him, as if in supplication.

"Dare any one still say it can?" asked Numa, with merciless rigour.

The Wallachians turned silently away.

"Put the horses immediately to the carriage; the girl must be placed
in it, and brought to Topanfalva. Whoever has the good fortune of
winning her, has a right to receive her as I confide her to you; but
if any one of you should dare to offend her in the slightest degree,
even by a look or a smile, remember _this_, and take example from it,"
continued the Decurio, pointing with his sword to the headless body of
the young man. "And now you may go--destroy and pillage."

At these words the band scattered right and left, leaving the Decurio
with the fainting girl, whom he lifted into the carriage and confided
to some faithful retainers of the family, pointing out the road across
the hills.

In half an hour the castle was in flames; and the Wallachians,
descending into the cellars, had knocked out the bottoms of the casks,
and bathed in the sea of flowing wine and brandy, singing wild songs,
while the fire burst from every window, enveloping the blackened
walls; after which the revellers departed, leaving their dead, and
those who were too helplessly intoxicated to follow them.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, they brought the young girl to the Decurio's house; and as
each man considered that he had an equal right to the prize, they
kept a vigilant eye upon her, and none dared offend her so much as by
a look.

When the Decurio arrived, they all crowded into the house with him,
filling the rooms, as well as the entrance and porch.

Having laid out the spoil before them on the ground, the leader
proceeded to divide it into equal shares, retaining for himself the
portion of ten men, after which most of the band dispersed to their
homes; but a good many remained, greedily eyeing their still
unappropriated victim, who lay pale and motionless as the dead on the
couch of lime-boughs, where they had laid her.

"You are waiting, I suppose, to cast lots for the girl?" s