assed him by, leaving him to regain his
legs as best he could. As soon as he had got up, he went on again at
less speed, and in a more cautious manner.

"I should like to see that fellow castigated," he said to himself.
"Never was served a more abominable trick. Where can he have gone? If
I don't make haste I shall not see what happens." He accordingly ran on
again; now he turned up one narrow lane, now down another, till he had
completely lost himself. "It cannot be a large place, however," he
thought, "and I shall easily find my way back to the inn. Ah! I think
I hear the shouts of the people."

He began to run on; presently he distinguished cries of, "There he is,
there he is! That must be he, just his size! Well catch him now!"

"I hope they will," thought the Baron, and on he went; but as he
happened to turn and glance over his shoulder, to his surprise, he saw
that the people were following him. "We shall have him now! we shall
have him now!" he heard the mob shouting. "That must be he! He is up
to all sorts of tricks. Take care he does not escape us. Stop thief!
stop thief!"

The Baron not liking the sounds, and fearing that there might be some
mistake, thought it best to keep ahead of the mob, and bolted down the
first opening he discovered. To his great satisfaction, at the further
end, he saw not only the inn, but the Count standing at the door of it.
The mob were close behind him, now excited more than ever by their
running, uttering all sorts of threats, and making unpleasant gestures
with their fists, sticks, and staves.

The Count looked astonished, scarcely comprehending what was happening.
Never had the Baron run so fast, puffing and blowing as he went, and
expecting every moment to drop from fatigue. Several persons were
collected about the door of the inn, who seemed to be amused at watching
him as he ran. At that moment two baker's boys, carrying between them a
large basketful of pies and cakes and loaves, and some paper bags of
flour, happened to be passing the inn door. The Baron, in his hurry not
seeing them, ran against the basket, when over he went with his legs in
the air, his arms and shoulders and the larger part of his body into the
very middle of the pies and cakes and bags of flour. The boys with
looks of alarm held on firmly to the handles, without making any attempt
to assist him, while he, overcome by his unusual exertions, was utterly
unable to help himself. The