Page 197 - A Jacobite Exile

The Jew's body was now thoroughly searched. Various papers were found
upon him, but, as these proved useless to the brigands, they were torn up.

"Shall we take the horse with us?" one of the men asked the leader.

"No, it would be worse than useless in the forest. Leave it standing here. It
will find its way back in time. Then there will be a search, and there will be

rejoicing in many a mansion throughout the country, when it is known that
Ben Soloman is dead. They say he has mortgages on a score of estates, and,

though I suppose these will pass to others of his tribe, they can hardly be as
hard and mercenary as this man was.

"I wonder what he was doing in this forest alone? Let us follow the path,
and see where he is going.

"Honred, you have a smattering of several languages, try then if you can
make our new comrade understand."

The man tried in Russian without success, then he spoke in Swedish, in

which language Charlie at once replied.

"Where does this pathway lead to?"

"To a hut where a charcoal burner lives. I have been imprisoned there for

the last fortnight. It was all the Jew's doing. It was through him that I got
this knock here;" and he pointed to the unhealed wound at the back of his
head.

"Well, we may as well pay them a visit," the chief said, when this was

translated to him. "We are short of flour, and they may have some there,
and maybe something else that will be useful."