Page 200 - A Jacobite Exile

The hut was ransacked; the flour, two bottles of spirits, and a skin of wine
seized, and the meat cut up and roasted over the fire. After the meal was

eaten, the captain called upon Charlie to tell his story more fully, and this
he did, with the aid of the man who spoke Swedish; starting, however, only

at the point when he was attacked in the street, as he felt it better to remain
silent as to his connection with the Swedish army.

"But what was the cause of Ben Soloman's hostility to you?"

"There are some in Warsaw who are of opinion that Augustus of Saxony
has done much harm to Poland, in engaging without cause in the war
against Charles of Sweden, and who think that it would be well that he

should be dethroned, and some other prince made king in his place. To this
party many of the traders belong, and the Jew had reason to think that I was

acquainted with the design, and could give the names of those concerned in
it. There was really no plot against Augustus, but it was only intended that
a popular demonstration against his rule should be made. But Soloman

wanted me to give evidence that there was a conspiracy against the king's
life, so that he might gain great credit by exposing it, and might at the same

time rid himself of many of his rivals in the trade."

"He was an artful fox," the leader of the brigands said, when this had been

translated to him. "But where is the Jew he put over you?"

Three or four of the men sprang to their feet and ran out, but the Jew was
nowhere to be seen. The captain was furious, and abused his men right and
left, while his anger was in no way mitigated when one of them told him

that, if he had wanted the Jew kept, he should have given one of them
orders to look after him. This was so evident that the chief was silenced for

a moment.

"How long is it since any of you saw him last?"

"He went round with the wineskin, and filled our cups just as we sat down

to breakfast," one of the men said. "I have not noticed him since."