it was customary, as they drew near to their prey, for the captain
to call his henchmen to attention and see that each was ready for the
imminent fray. Then, having gagged the village watchman and muffled his
bell, they would proceed to surround the house they intended to rifle,
and, should resistance be offered, to batter in the door with a log or
other instrument. Sometimes it would transpire that the Jewish agent had
misinformed them, telling them of booty where booty there was little,
and woe betide him should this prove the state of affairs. Moreover,
unlike the brigands in Gil Blas, these scoundrels of the Rhine would not
be encumbered by prisoners, and they were wont to slay outright all who
were minded to show fight.

Yet to their own brotherhood the robbers were invariably loyal, seldom
failing to carry away with them such of their confreres as were wounded
in the assault; for each was sworn to support his fellows under all
circumstances, and awful was the fate of the marauder who violated this
compact. It is told of a band commanded by one Picard, a cruel but brave
leader, that one of its members chanced to be captured, and with a view
to purchasing his freedom he gave information about the whereabouts of
his chief. The next night, as the captive lay in his dungeon, a masked
face suddenly appeared at the barred window, and in awestruck tones the
prisoner asked the new-comer to declare his identity. "I am Picard, your
captain," came the answer. "As in duty bound, I have risked my life to
set you free," and having spoken thus, he proceeded to file through one
of the bars, which being accomplished, the reprobate was drawn out of
his cell by the aid of a rope. He breathed freely now, finding himself
once more among some of his old comrades, but a moment later Picard
addressed him again. "Traitor," he snarled, "do not think that your
perfidy has failed to reach our ears; you must pay the full penalty."

"Mercy," cried the unfortunate one; "at least let me die in action. Lead
on against some foe, and let me fall at their hands."

"Cowards," retorted Picard, "deserve no such gallant fate," and with
these words he drove his sword deep into the heart of the traitor.

In general it was a point of honour among these bandits that none should
reveal to a woman anything about the doings of his band, and one story
relates how a young brigand, on the eve of setting out on his first
predatory expedition, was rash enough to