d, the leader gave a loud and clear whistle
as a signal to start, and shortly the whole troop had disappeared in
the forest.

The company gathered in the chamber of the inn, gradually recovered
from their terror after the departure of the robbers. As is generally
the case after some great misfortune or sudden danger has passed by,
they would have been very cheerful had not their thoughts been occupied
with their three companions, who had been led away before their very
eyes. They all broke out in praise of the young goldsmith, and the
countess wept when she reflected how deeply she was indebted to one
upon whom she had no claim, whom she had never even known. It was a
consolation for them all to know that the heroic huntsman and the brave
student had accompanied him, and could comfort him in his hours of
despondency. They even entertained a hope that the experienced forester
would discover a means of escape for himself and companions. They
consulted together as to what they had better do. The countess resolved
that, as she was bound by no oath to the robbers, she would at once
return to her husband, and make every exertion to discover their
hiding-place, and set their prisoners free. The wagoner promised to go
to Aschaffenburg and summon the officials to organize a pursuit of the
robbers, while the compass-maker was to continue his journey.

The travellers were not disturbed any more that night; silence reigned
in the forest inn, that had an hour before been the theatre of terrible
scenes. But in the morning, when the servants of the countess went
below to prepare for her departure, they came running back, and
reported that they had found the landlady and her hostler bound on the
floor, and begging for assistance.

The travellers gazed at one another in astonishment. "What?" cried the
compass-maker. "Then these people must have been innocent. We have done
them wrong, for they can have no association with the robbers."

"I will allow myself to be hanged in their place," returned the
wagoner, "if we were not right after all. This is only a sham, designed
to prevent their conviction. Don't you remember the suspicious
appearance of this inn? Don't you remember how, when I started to go
down-stairs, the trained dog would not let me pass? how the landlady
and the hostler appeared instantly, and asked in a surly way what I was
after? Still, all this was well for us, or at least for the lady
countess. If things had worn a l