id gruffly. "He has got agents all
over the country."

"Then what would you do?"

"There is only one thing to do. It is our lives or his. When he
rides up tomorrow, we will meet him at the door as if nothing had
happened, and, with my axe, I will cleave his head asunder as he
comes in. If he sees me in time to retreat, you shall stab him in
the back. Then we will dig a big hole in the wood, and throw him
in, and we will kill his horse and bury it with him.

"Who would ever be the wiser? I was going to propose it last time,
only I was not sure of you then; but, now that you are in it as
deep as I am--deeper, indeed, for he put you here specially to look
after this youngster--your interest in the matter is as great as
mine."

The Jew was silent for some time, then he said:

"He has got papers at home which would bring me to the gallows."

"Pooh!" the other said. "You do not suppose that, when it is found
that he does not return, and his heirs open his coffers, they will
take any trouble about what there may be in the papers there,
except such as relate to his money. I will warrant there are papers
there which concern scores of men besides you, for I know that Ben
Soloman likes to work with agents he has got under his thumb. But,
even if all the papers should be put into the hands of the
authorities, what would come of it? They have got their hands full
of other matters, for the present, and with the Swedes on their
frontier, and the whole country divided into factions, who do you
think is going to trouble to hunt up men for affairs that occurred
years ago? Even if they did, they would not catch you. They have
not got the means of running you down that Ben Soloman has.

"I tell you, man, it must be done. There is no other way out of
it."

"Well, Conrad, if we cannot find this fellow before Ben Soloman
comes, I am with you in the business. I have been working for him
on starvation pay for the last three years, and hate him as much as
you can."

When they reached the hut they cooked a meal, and then prepared to
keep alternate watch.

Charlie slept quietly all night, and, in the morning, remained in
his hiding place until he heard, in the distance, the sound of a
horse's tread. Then he went out and sat down, leaning against a
tree by the side of the path, in an attitude of exhaustion.

Presently he saw Ben Soloman approaching. He got up feebly, and
staggered a few paces to another tree, farther from the path.