f you are clever enough to steal the horses from under them, I will see
what I can do for you.'

'What you set me to do can be done,' said the Master Thief, 'but am I
certain to get your daughter when it is?'

'Yes; if you can do that I will do my best for you,' said the Governor.

So the Master Thief went to a shop, and bought enough brandy to fill two
pocket flasks, and he put a sleeping drink into one of these, but into
the other he poured brandy only. Then he engaged eleven men to lie that
night in hiding behind the Governor's stable. After this, by fair words
and good payment, he borrowed a ragged gown and a jerkin from an aged
woman, and then, with a staff in his hand and a poke on his back, he
hobbled off as evening came on towards the Governor's stable. The stable
boys were just watering the horses for the night, and it was quite as
much as they could do to attend to that.

'What on earth do you want here?' said one of them to the old woman.

'Oh dear! oh dear! How cold it is!' she said, sobbing, and shivering
with cold. 'Oh dear! oh dear! it's cold enough to freeze a poor old body
to death!' and she shivered and shook again, and said, 'For heaven's
sake give me leave to stay here and sit just inside the stable door.'

'You will get nothing of the kind! Be off this moment! If the Governor
were to catch sight of you here, he would lead us a pretty dance,' said
one.

'Oh! what a poor helpless old creature!' said another, who felt sorry
for her. 'That poor old woman can do no harm to anyone. She may sit
there and welcome.'

The rest of them thought that she ought not to stay, but while they were
disputing about this and looking after the horses, she crept farther and
farther into the stable, and at last sat down behind the door, and when
once she was inside no one took any more notice of her.

As the night wore on the stable boys found it rather cold work to sit
still on horseback.

'Hutetu! But it is fearfully cold!' said one, and began to beat his arms
backwards and forwards across his breast.

'Yes, I am so cold that my teeth are chattering,' said another.

'If one had but a little tobacco,' said a third.

Well, one of them had a little, so they shared it among them, though
there was very little for each man, but they chewed it. This was some
help to them, but very soon they were just as cold as before.

'Hutetu!' said one of them, shivering again.

'Hutetu!' said the old woman, gnashing her tee