resolutely. "As long as I have
hands you shall not suffer hunger. I will work for you day and night,
so that you do not endanger the peace of your soul, and let the poor
creature live for my sake!"

"Then take the ax and split my head!" shouted Falcon, in desperation.
"I won't move from this spot until I have what I desire. Can you raise
the treasures of the _Carmilhan_ for me? Can your hands earn more than
the merest necessaries of life? But you can put an end to my misery.
Come, and let me be the victim!"

"William, kill the cow, kill me! It does not matter to me, I was only
anxious about the salvation of your soul. Alas! this was the altar of
the Picts, and the sacrifice that you would bring belongs to the
darkness."

"I don't know anything about that," cried Falcon, laughing wildly, like
one who is resolved not to listen to anything that might swerve him
from his purpose. "Kaspar, you are crazy and make me crazy, too. But
there," continued he, throwing away the ax and picking up his knife
from the stone as if about to stab himself; "there, I will kill myself
instead of the cow!"

Kaspar was at his side in a twinkling, tore the murderous weapon from
his hand, seized the ax, poised it high in the air, and brought it down
with such a force on the poor cow's head, that she fell dead at her
master's feet.

A flash of lightning, accompanied by a peal of thunder, followed this
rash act, and Falcon stared at his friend in astonishment. But Strumpf
was disturbed neither by the thunder-clap nor by the fixed stare of his
companion; and without speaking a word, fell to work at removing the
hide. When Falcon had recovered from his amazement, he assisted his
companion at this task, but with as evident aversion as he had before
manifested eagerness to see the sacrifice completed. During their work
the thunder-storm had gathered, the thunder reverberated among the
mountains, and fearful flashes played about the rock; while the wind
roared through the lower valleys and along the coast. And when at last
the two fishermen had stripped the hide off, they found that they were
wet through to the skin. They spread the hide out on the ground, and
Kaspar wrapped and tied Falcon up in it. Then, for the first time, when
all this was done, poor Kaspar broke the long silence by saying in a
trembling voice, as he looked down at his deluded friend: "Can I do
anything more for you, William?"

"Nothing more," replied the other; "farewell!"