the ruins of an ancient castle, of which
only a couple of towers with their connecting wall were standing, and
above them swarmed innumerable multitudes of rooks and daws, some of
which sat in thick rows upon the battlements, while others fluttered in
flocks about them in wild commotion. Their harsh croakings resounded
amid the deep stillness of the place, boding misfortune. 'Truly, not
alone in the battlefield is the courage of man called into exercise!'
said he to himself, while seeking the way which led up to the ruins. At
length he had found a foot-path, when a rough voice cried out to him,
'Halt!' He looked up, and upon a high rock hardly ten steps before him
stood a brigand, whose rifle was aimed at his head.

'What may be the matter?' cried Arwed, roughly, taking his gun from his
shoulder.

'Lay aside your arms, or I will shoot you down!' commanded the robber.

'That is not my custom,' answered Arwed. 'Shoot, rascal! But be sure to
hit, or you are lost.'

And presenting his gun with his left hand, as he would have presented a
pistol, he rushed towards his adversary. The latter, daunted by his
boldness, fired and missed; and instantly afterwards, with Arwed's
bullet in his head, he fell upon the rock, whence, yet struggling with
death, he tumbled down a neighboring and unfathomable abyss. Frightened
by the firing, the whole flock of funereal birds arose croaking from
the summit, with the rustling of a thousand wings, and fluttered like a
dark rushing cloud in the air, for some minutes obscuring the light of
the sun.

'Those villanous birds will alarm the garrison and bring the whole gang
in an uproar upon me,' thought Arwed, as he reloaded his gun. 'I would
willingly have ascended further, but now I must not venture it. Every
thing depends upon my safely reaching Gyllensten with the knowledge I
have acquired. I have obtained the necessary information concerning the
enemy's position. It has indeed cost one man's life, but he is no great
loss to the world.'

He hastened homeward. Soon the dangerous mountain lay far behind him;
and, just as the stars began to twinkle in the firmament, he reached
Gyllensten in safety.

CHAPTER XLV.

Under the direction of Megret and Arwed, the preparations for breaking
up the nest of robbers were made with great ability and circumspection.
The ten dragoons stationed at Umea were privately summoned to
Gyllensten, and the neighboring peasan