topped drinking and eyed him curiously, and at last the
captain spoke.

'No caravan of armed men would dare to come here, even the very birds
shun our camp, and who are you to venture in so boldly?'

'Oh, I have left my mother's house in search of fear. Perhaps you can
show it to me?'

'Fear is wherever _we_ are,' answered the captain.

'But _where_?' asked the boy, looking round. 'I see nothing.'

'Take this pot and some flour and butter and sugar over to the
churchyard which lies down there, and bake us a cake for supper,'
replied the robber. And the boy, who was by this time quite warm,
jumped up cheerfully, and slinging the pot over his arm, ran down the
hill.

When he got to the churchyard he collected some sticks and made a
fire; then he filled the pot with water from a little stream close by,
and mixing the flour and butter and sugar together, he set the cake on
to cook. It was not long before it grew crisp and brown, and then the
boy lifted it from the pot and placed it on a stone, while he put out
the fire. At that moment a hand was stretched from a grave, and a
voice said:

'Is that cake for me?'

'Do you think I am going to give to the dead the food of the living?'
replied the boy, with a laugh. And giving the hand a tap with his
spoon, and picking up the cake, he went up the mountain side,
whistling merrily.

'Well, have you found fear?' asked the robbers when he held out the
cake to the captain.

[Illustration: THE BOY SECURES THE BRACELET]

'No; was it there?' answered the boy. 'I saw nothing but a hand which
came from a grave, and belonged to someone who wanted my cake, but I
just rapped the fingers with my spoon, and said it was not for him,
and then the hand vanished. Oh, how nice the fire is!' And he flung
himself on his knees before it, and so did not notice the glances of
surprise cast by the robbers at each other.

'There is another chance for you,' said one at length. 'On the other
side of the mountain lies a deep pool; go to that, and perhaps you may
meet fear on the way.'

'I hope so, indeed,' answered the boy. And he set out at once.

He soon beheld the waters of the pool gleaming in the moonlight, and
as he drew near he saw a tall swing standing just over it, and in the
swing a child was seated, weeping bitterly.

'That is a strange place for a swing,' thought the boy; 'but I wonder
what he is crying about.' And he was hurrying on towards the child,
when a maiden ran up a