drink of which they had deprived themselves. The storm had passed,
and the stars were shining brightly. They met nobody on their way
until within two or three miles of Gunzenhausen; it was found
that the haft of Paolo's axe was deeply stained with blood; and he
threw it away on issuing from the wood, as it did not accord well
with his present attire, which was rather that of a discharged
soldier or a worker in cities than of a countryman. Soon after
eight o'clock they approached the town. They were now greatly
fatigued, for they had done two long days' marches without any
sleep between them, and turning off from the road they made their
way to a little clump of trees, and there threw themselves down
in the shade and slept until late in the afternoon.

"I think that after our experience of last night, Paolo," Hector
said, as they walked towards the town, "we had better wait until
we can join some party going to Hall before we leave this place.
From what I hear, the road is a great deal more infested with
bands of lawless men than that along which we have come."

"Then, master, I think we had certainly better wait, for I don't
want anything worse than we had yesterday."

They went to a small inn, had supper, and then lay down on some
straw in an outhouse and slept soundly until morning. Then they
breakfasted, and as there was no one else in the room Paolo was
able to eat freely. Presently the landlord came in, and Hector
entered into conversation with him.

"We want to go on to Hall," he said. "We have friends there, and
we are obliged to leave home because we should be taken for the