lear to
the eye, their companion halted and said gloomily, "You may as well slay
me out of hand as take me any nearer the gates of Dusseldorf town."

On this being communicated to Denys, he said at once, "Let him go then,
for in sooth his neck will be in jeopardy if he wends much further with
us." Gerard acquiesced as a matter of course. His horror of a criminal
did not in the least dispose him to active co-operation with the law.
But the fact is, that at this epoch no private citizen in any part
of Europe ever meddled with criminals but in self-defence, except,
by-the-by, in England, which, behind other nations in some things, was
centuries before them all in this.

The man's personal liberty being restored, he asked for his axe. It was
given him. To the friends' surprise he still lingered. Was he to have
nothing for coming so far out of his way with them?

"Here are two batzen, friend.

"Add the wine, the good Rhenish?"

"Did you give aught for it?"

"Ay! the peril of my life."

"Hum! what say you, Denys?"

"I say it was worth its weight in gold. Here, lad, here be silver
groshen, one for every acorn on that gallows tree; and here is one more
for thee, who wilt doubtless be there in due season."

The man took the coins, but still lingered.

"Well! what now?" cried Gerard, who thought him shamefully overpaid
already. "Dost seek the hide off our bones?"

"Nay, good sirs, but you have seen to-night how parlous a life is mine.
Ye be true men, and your prayers avail; give me then a small trifle of a
prayer, an't please you; for I know not one."

Gerard's choler began to rise at the egotistical rogue; moreover, ever
since his wound he had felt gusts of irritability. However, he bit his
lip and said, "There go two words to that bargain; tell me first, is it
true what men say of you Rhenish thieves, that ye do murder innocent and
unresisting travellers as well as rob them?"

The other answered sulkily, "They you call thieves are not to blame for
that; the fault lies with the law."

"Gramercy! so 'tis the law's fault that ill men break it?"

"I mean not so; but the law in this land slays an honest man an if he
do but steal. What follows? he would be pitiful, but is discouraged
herefrom; pity gains him no pity, and doubles his peril: an he but cut
a purse his life is forfeit; therefore cutteth he the throat to boot, to
save his own neck: dead men tell no tales. Pray then for the poor soul
who by bloody laws i