Page 202 - A Jacobite Exile

As he had, only the day before he was attacked, sent off a messenger to
Count Piper, telling him all he had done the previous week, there was no

occasion to repeat this, and he had only to give an account of his capture,
and the events that had since occurred.

"You see," he said, "I cannot return to Warsaw. The Jew who was here
unfortunately heard that it was in a struggle with me Ben Soloman was

killed, and he will, of course, denounce me as his murderer, though the
deed was done in fair fight. I should have all his tribe against me, and might

be imprisoned for months awaiting trial. I am still very weak, and could not
attempt the journey to the frontier. I am, however, gaining strength, and, as
soon as I am quite recovered, I shall take the first opportunity of leaving the

men I am with, and making for the Swedish camp. Please forward this news
by a sure hand to Count Piper, and express my sorrow that my mission has

not been completed, although, indeed, I do not think that my further stay at
Warsaw would have been any great service, for it is clear that the great
majority of the traders will not move in the matter until the Swedes

advance, and, from their point of view, it is not to their interest to do so.

"I know but little of the men I am with at present, beyond the fact that they
are bandits, nor can I say whether they are disbanded soldiers, or criminals
who have escaped from justice; but at any rate they show me no ill will. I

have no doubt I shall be able to get on fairly with them, until I am able to
make my escape. I wish I had poor Stanislas with me. Only one of the men

here speaks Swedish, and he does not know very much of the language. I
cannot say, at present, whether the twenty men here are the whole of the
band, or whether they are only a portion of it. Nor do I know whether the

men subsist by plundering the peasants, or venture on more serious crimes.
Thanking you for your great kindness during my stay at Warsaw, I remain,

yours gratefully--

"Charlie Carstairs."

While he was occupied in writing this letter, an animated conversation was

going on between the bandits. Charlie gathered that this related to their
future operations, but more than this he could not learn. In a postscript to