184 A JACOBITE EXILE

Charlie was on his guard, and remained silent with his
eyes closed.

“Tt is of no use,” Ben Soloman said in his own lan-
guage, “the fellow is still insensible. The clumsy fool
who hit him would fare badly if I knew who he was. I
said that he was to be knocked down, silenced, and brought
here; and here he is, of no more use than if he were
dead.”’

“He will doubtless come round in time,” another said
in an apologetic tone. “We will bring him round if you
will have patience, Ben Soloman.”

“Well, well,” the other replied, “a few days will make
no difference; but mind that he is well guarded directly
he begins to gain strength. I will get him out of the town
as soon as I can. Allan Ramsay has laid a complaint be-
fore the mayor that his countryman has been attacked by a
band of ruffians, and has been either killed or carried off
by them. It is a pity that servant of his was not killed.”

“We thought he was dead. Two or three of us looked
at him, and I could have sworn that life was out of him.”

“Well, then, you would have sworn what was not true,
for he managed to crawl to Ramsay’s, where he lies, I am
told, dangerously ill, and an official has been to him to
obtain his account of the fray. It was a bungled business
from beginning to end.” ;

“We could not have calculated on the fellows making
such a resistance,” the other grumbled. “This one seemed
but a lad, and yet he killed three of our party, and the
other killed one. A nice business that; and you will have
to pay their friends well, Ben Soloman, for I can tell you
there is grumbling at the price, which they say was not
enough for the work, which you told them would be easy.”

“Tt ought to have been,” the Jew said sullenly; “fifteen
or twenty men to overpower a lad. What could have been
more easy? However, I will do something for the friends