190 A JACOBITE EXILE

a while outside the door. During his absence Charlie lifted
the logs of wood piled beside the hearth, and was able to
test his returning strength, assuring himseif that, although
not yet fully recovered, he was gaining ground daily. He
resolved not to wait until the seventh day; for Ben Soloman
might change his mind and return before the day he had
named. He determined, therefore, that on the sixth day
he would make the attempt. He had no fear of being
unable to overcome his Jewish guard, as he would have the
advantage of a surprise. He only delayed as long as possi-
ble, because he doubted his powers of walking any great
distance and of evading the charcoal-burner, who would on
his return certainly set out in pursuit of him. Moreover,
he wished to remain in the hut nearly up to the time of the
Jew’s return, as he was determined to wait in the forest
and revenge himself for the suffering he had caused him and
for the torture to which he intended to put him.

The evening before the day on which he decided to
“make the attempt the charcoal-burner and the Jew were in
earnest conversation. ‘The word signifying brigand was
frequently repeated, and although he could not understand
much more than this, he concluded from the peasant’s talk
and gestures that he had either come across some of these
men in the forest, or had gathered from signs he had
observed, perhaps from their fires, that they were there.
The Jew shrugged his shoulders when the narration was
finished. ‘lhe presence of brigands was a matter of indif-
ference to him. ‘The next day the charcoal-burner went off
at noon.

“Where does he go to?” Charlie asked his guard.

“He has got some charcoal fires alight, and is obliged to
go and see to them. They have to be kept covered up
with wet leaves and earth so that the wood shall only
smoulder,” the man said, as he lounged out of the hut to
his usual seat,