have forgotten!" said the other. "Search him, Jan!"
he commanded.

Jan put down the lanthorn and then proceeded to lay rough hands upon the
captive philosopher; he had a heavy score to pay off against him--an
aching collar-bone and a bruised head, and the weight of a powerful fist
to avenge. He was not like to be gentle in his task. He tore at the
prisoner's doublet and in his search for a hidden pocket he disclosed an
ugly wound which had lacerated the shoulder.

"Some of us took off our skates," he remarked casually, "and brought him
down with them. The blades were full sharp, and we swung them by their
straps; they made excellent weapons thus; the fellow should have more
than one wound about him."

"Three, my good Jan, to be quite accurate," said Diogenes calmly, "but
all endurable. I had ten about me outside Prague once, but the fellows
there were fighting better than you, and in a worthier cause."

Jan's rough hands continued their exhaustive search; a quickly smothered
groan from the prisoner caused Stoutenburg to laugh.

"That sound," he said, "was music to mine ear."

Jan now drew a small leather wallet and a parchment roll both from the
wide flap of the prisoner's boot. Stoutenburg pounced upon the wallet,
and Beresteyn with eager anxiety tore the parchment out of Jan's hand.

"It is the formal order to Ben Isaje," he said, "to pay over the money
to this knave. Is there anything else, Jan?" he continued excitedly, "a
thinner paper?--shaped like a letter?"

"Nothing else, mynheer," replied Jan.

"Did you then deliver my letter to Ben Isaje, fellow?" queried Beresteyn
of the prisoner.

"My friend Jan should be able to tell you that," he replied, "hath he
not been searching the very folds of my skin."

In the meanwhile Stoutenburg had been examining the contents of the
wallet.

"Jewellery belonging to the jongejuffrouw," he said dryly, "which this
rogue hath stolen from her. Will you take charge of them, Nicolaes? And
here," he added, counting out a few pieces of gold and silver, "is some
of your own money."

He made as if he would return this to Beresteyn, then a new idea seemed
to strike him, for he put all the money back into the wallet and said to
Jan:

"Put this wallet back where you found it, Jan, and, Nicolaes," he added
turning back to his friend, "will you allow me to look at that bond?"

While Jan obeyed and replaced the wallet in the flap of the prisoner's
boot, Beresteyn handed the