heard them
saying that they would look in the vault, for that the Black Thief would
think little of robbing the corpse if he was anywhere in the place.
I did not then know in what manner to act, for if I was seen I would
surely lose my life, as everybody had a look-out at that time, and
because there was no person bold enough to come in on me. I knew very
well on the first sight of me that could be got, I would be shot like a
dog. However, I had not time to lose. I took and raised up the man which
I had killed, as if he was standing on his feet, and I, crouching behind
him, bore him up as well as I could, so that the guards readily saw him
as they came up to the vault. Seeing the man in black, one of the men
cried that was the Black Thief, and, presenting his piece, fired at
the man, at which I let him fall, and crept into a little dark corner
myself, that was at the entrance of the place. When they saw the man
fall, they ran all into the vault, and never stopped until they were at
the end of it, for fear, as I thought, that there might be some others
along with him that was killed. But while they were busy inspecting the
corpse and the vault to see what they could miss, I slipped out, and,
once away, and still away; but they never had the Black Thief in their
power since.'

'Well, my brave fellow,' says the Knight of the Glen, 'I see you have
come through many dangers: you have freed these two princes by your
stories; but I am sorry myself that this young prince has to suffer for
all. Now, if you could tell me something as wonderful as you have told
already, I would pardon him likewise; I pity this youth and do not want
to put him to death if I could help it.'

'That happens well,' says the Thief of Sloan, 'for I like him best
myself, and have reserved the most curious passage for the last on his
account.'

'Well, then,' says the knight, 'let us hear it.'

'I was one day on my travels,' says the Black Thief, 'and I came into a
large forest, where I wandered a long time, and could not get out of it.
At length I came to a large castle, and fatigue obliged me to call in
the same, where I found a young woman and a child sitting on her knee,
and she crying. I asked her what made her cry, and where the lord of the
castle was, for I wondered greatly that I saw no stir of servants or any
person about the place.

'"It is well for you," says the young woman, "that the lord of this
castle is not at home at present; for he i