d lie down before the fire. The men were completely
deceived by his acting, and, considering any attempt to escape, in
his present weak state, altogether impossible, paid but little heed
to him, the peasant frequently absenting himself for hours
together.

Looking from his window, Charlie saw that the hut was situated in a
thick wood, and, from the blackened appearance of the peasant's
face and garments, he guessed him to be a charcoal burner, and
therefore judged that the trees he saw must form part of a forest
of considerable extent.

The weather was warm, and his other guard often sat, for a while,
outside the door. During his absence, Charlie lifted the logs of
wood piled beside the hearth, and was able to test his returning
strength, assuring himself that, although not yet fully recovered,
he was gaining ground daily. He resolved not to wait until the
seventh day; for Ben Soloman might change his mind, and return
before the day he had named. He determined, therefore, that on the
sixth day he would make the attempt.

He had no fear of being unable to overcome his Jewish guard, as he
would have the advantage of a surprise. He only delayed as long as
possible, because he doubted his powers of walking any great
distance, and of evading the charcoal burner, who would, on his
return, certainly set out in pursuit of him. Moreover, he wished to
remain in the hut nearly up to the time of the Jew's return, as he
was determined to wait in the forest, and revenge himself for the
suffering he had caused him, and for the torture to which he
intended to put him.

The evening before the day on which he decided to make the attempt,
the charcoal burner and the Jew were in earnest conversation. The
word signifying brigand was frequently repeated, and, although he
could not understand much more than this, he concluded, from the
peasant's talk and gestures, that he had either come across some of
these men in the forest, or had gathered from signs he had
observed, perhaps from their fires, that they were there.

The Jew shrugged his shoulders when the narration was finished. The
presence of brigands was a matter of indifference to him. The next
day, the charcoal burner went off at noon.

"Where does he go to?" Charlie asked his guard.

"He has got some charcoal fires alight, and is obliged to go and
see to them. They have to be kept covered up with wet leaves and
earth, so that the wood shall only smoulder," the man said, as h