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.
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