, should complete their conquest.

Meanwhile Fink tried to employ his people; made the men clean and
brighten their arms, and himself inspected them all; next, powder and
lead were given out, bullets cast, and cartridges made. Anton showed the
women how to clean the house and the court, as well as they could,
without water. All this had the good effect of keeping the prisoners
occupied for a few hours.

The sun rose higher, and the breeze wafted the peaceful chime of bells
from the nearest village.

"Our breakfast will be sparing enough," said Anton to his comrades. "The
potatoes are roasted in the ashes, meat and bacon are finished; the cook
can not bake, for we are again without water."

"As long as we have the milch-cow in the stable," replied Fink, "we
still possess a treasure which we can display to the hungry ones. Next,
we have the mice in the castle, and, finally, our boots. He who has been
condemned to eat beefsteaks in this country ought not to find
boot-leather a tough diet."

The forester interrupted them. "A single horseman is coming from the
farm-yard to the castle with a woman behind him. I lay any thing it is
Rebecca."

The horseman approached the front door, waving a white handkerchief,
halting near the burnt fragments of the great wagon, and looking at the
windows of the upper story. It was the envoy of the preceding day.

"We will not be so unpolite as to keep the gentleman waiting," said
Fink, pushing back the bolts, and appearing unarmed on the threshold.
The Pole silently bowed; Fink raised his cap.

"I told you yesterday evening," began the former, "that I should have
the pleasure of seeing you again."

"Ah!" replied Fink; "you, then, were the gentleman who occasioned all
that smoke? It was a pity to spoil the wagon."

"You prevented your men from firing on me yesterday," continued the
Pole, in German, spoken with a hard foreign accent. "I am grateful to
you for it, and anxious to prove myself so. I hear that there are ladies
in the castle; this girl brings them milk. We know that you are without
water, and I should not wish the ladies to be inconvenienced by our
conflict."

"Jackanapes!" muttered the forester.

"If you will permit me to give you a few bottles of wine in exchange for
your milk," replied Fink, "I will accept your present with thanks. I
presume you have no superfluity of this commodity at your command."

"Very good," said the Pole, smiling. Rebecca hurried with her p