WITH BRIGANDS 211

sent to other towns to send detachments into it at differ-
ent points, so it is evident the authorities are determined to
catch you if possible. If you had killed half a dozen
traders in a smaller way they would have cared little about
it; but just at present, pressed as the king is by want of
money, he is bound to do everything he can to please the
Jewish traders, as it is upon them that he must rely for
loans for the payment of his troops.

“Tn this matter, then, he will leave no stone unturned to
gratify them, and TI should strongly advise your band to
move away from the neighbourhood, at any rate for a
time. ‘They may plunder whole villages with impunity,
but what is regarded as the murder of the richest citizen
of Warsaw, a man mixed up in business and politics with
half the principal nobles of the land, is a different matter
altogether. Do not think of trying to traverse the country
until you are perfectly strong. It will be a dangerous
business at the best, but with your man with you to bear
the brunt of replying to questions, I have every confidence
that you will succeed in making your way through. As to
this, I can give no advice, as there is no saying as to the
point from which you may start, or the directions in which
you may travel.

“Should you at any time find yourself in a town in which
there are any of my countrymen established in trade, and
you will find them nearly everywhere, use my name. I
think it is pretty generally known to Scotchmen in Poland.
You will see I have inclosed a note that will be useful to
you.”

The inclosure contained only a few words: “I, Allan
Ramsay, merchant of Warsaw, do declare the bearer of this
note to be my friend, and beg any countrymen of mine to
whom he may present himself, to assist him in every way,
and should he require money, to furnish him with it, I
undertaking to make myself responsible for the same,