rother, I'm sure."

"Well, then, let us make a wager. I'll wager you a golden ducat that
Evil is stronger than Good and we'll let the first man we meet on this
road decide which of us is right. Do you agree?"

"Yes, brother, I agree."

They rode a short distance and overtook a man who seemed to be a monk.
He wasn't really a monk but the Devil himself disguised in the habit of
a monk. The older brother put the case to him and the false monk at once
answered:

"That's an easy question to decide. Of course Evil is stronger than Good
in this world."

Without a word the younger brother took out one of his golden ducats and
handed it over.

"Now," sneered the older one, "are you convinced?"

"No, brother, I am not. No matter what this monk says I know that Good
is stronger than Evil."

"You do, do you? Then suppose we repeat the wager and ask the next man
we meet to decide between us."

"Very well, brother, I'm willing."

The next man they overtook looked like an old farmer, but in reality he
was the Devil again who had taken the guise of a farmer. They put the
question to him and of course the Devil made the same answer:

"Evil is stronger than Good in this world."

So again the younger brother paid his wager but insisted that he still
believed Good to be stronger than Evil.

"Then we'll make a third wager," the other said.

With the Devil's help the older brother won the third golden ducat which
was all the money the younger one had. Then the older brother suggested
that they wager their horses and the Devil, disguised in another form,
again acted as umpire and the younger one of course lost his horse.

"Now I have nothing more to lose," he said, "but I am still so sure that
Good is stronger than Evil that I am willing to wager the very eyes out
of my head!"

"The more fool you!" the other one cried brutally.

Without another word he knocked his younger brother down and gouged out
his eyes.

"Now let God take care of you if He can! As for me I put my trust in the
Devil!"

"May God forgive you for speaking so!" the younger one said.

"I don't care whether He does or not! Nothing can harm me! I'm strong
and I'm rich and I know how to take care of myself. As for you, you poor
blind beggar, is there anything you would like me to do for you before I
ride away?"

[Illustration: _Vilas at Play_]

"All I ask of you, brother, is that you lead me to the spring that is
under the fir tree not far from here