he by, how am I ever to get out again? We
should have acted more wisely had we walked up boldly to Mynheer
Bunckum, and apologising for having entered his grounds, wished him good
morning. It is entirely owing to the Baron's cowardice that I am placed
in this very unpleasant position."

Such were the thoughts which passed through the Count's mind, for he did
not speak them aloud. He heard the voices of Mynheer Bunckum and his
men, as they searched round and round the building, but none of them
looked into the well, or if they did, failed to discover him. At
length, to his great relief, their voices grew less and less distinct,
and he was satisfied that they were moving on.

"At all events this delay will have enabled the Baron to make his
escape, and I hope that by and by, when these people have given up the
search, I shall be able to rejoin him," he thought.

Meantime the Baron had continued his course. Not being much accustomed
to running, he soon began to puff and blow, and wish that he could find
some place in which to hide himself, and recover his wind. Instead of
taking the direct path along which he and the Count had come, rightly
suspecting that if he did so he should quickly be observed, he turned
aside to a wilder part of the wood; he stopped every now and then to try
and recover his breath, and to ascertain if the Count was following.
Having no landmark to direct him, he completely lost himself, and became
very uncertain whether he was making his way out of the wood, or only
getting further into it.

"It was very selfish and unmannerly in Count Funnibos not to accompany
me," he said to himself. "We might have helped each other out of this
difficulty; and, indeed, at any moment Mynheer Bunckum and his myrmidons
may overtake me, and in the vicious mood they are in, I do not know how
I shall be treated. Ah! there I see a large hollow tree. Yes, there is
an opening at the bottom, I will creep in and try to conceal myself
within the stem till the hue and cry is over."

Suiting the action to the word, the Baron knelt down, and was about to
crawl into the opening when he saw a movement of the bushes at a little
distance off, and presently a head popped up above them.

"I hope that I was not observed," he thought, and he quickly crawled in
at the hole, unfortunately, as he did so, knocking off his hat, which
rolled away on one side; he dared not crawl out again to look for it,
and could only hope that