“And how much didst thou pay to Isaac? Methinks, to judge by weight, there is still two hundred zecchins in this pouch.”

“I paid to Isaac,” said the Saxon, “eighty zecchins, and he restored me a hundred in lieu thereof.”

“How! what!” exclaimed all the robbers at once; “darest thou trifle with us, that thou tellest such improbable lies?”

“What I tell you,” said Gurth, “is as true as the moon is in heaven. You will find the just sum in a silken purse within the leathern pouch, and separate from the rest of the gold.”

“Bethink thee, man,” said the Captain; “thou speakest of a Jew—of an Israelite—as unapt to restore gold as the dry sand of his deserts to return the cup of water which the pilgrim spills upon them.”

“There is no more mercy in them,” said another of the banditti, “than in an unbribed sheriff’s officer.”

“It is, however, as I say,” said Gurth.

“Strike a light instantly,” said the Captain; “I will examine this said purse; and if it be as this fellow says, the Jew’s bounty is little less miraculous than the stream which relieved his fathers in the wilderness.”

A light was procured accordingly, and the robber proceeded to examine the purse. The others crowded around him, and even two who had hold of Gurth relaxed their grasp while they stretched their necks to see the issue of the search. Availing himself of their negligence, by a sudden exertion of strength and activity, Gurth shook himself free of their hold, and might have escaped could he have resolved to leave his master’s property behind him. But such was no part of his intention. He wrenched a quarter- staff from one of the fellows, struck down the Captain, who was altogether unaware of his purpose, and had well-nigh repossessed himself of the pouch and treasure. The thieves, however, were too nimble for him, and again secured both the bag and the trusty Gurth.

“Knave,” said the Captain, getting up, “thou hast broken my head; and with other men of our sort thou wouldst fare the worse for thy insolence. But thou shalt know thy fate instantly. First let us speak of thy master; the knight’s matters must go before the squire’s, according to the due order of chivalry. Stand thou fast in the meantime—if thou stir again, thou shalt have that will make thee quiet for thy life.—Comrades!” he then said, addressing his gang, “this purse is embroidered with Hebrew characters, and I well believe the yeoman’s tale is true. The errant knight, his master, must needs pass us toll-free. He is too like ourselves for us to make booty of him, since dogs should not worry dogs where wolves and foxes are to be found in abundance.”

“Like us?” answered one of the gang; “I should like to hear how that is made good.”

“Why, thou fool,” answered the Captain, “is he not poor and disinherited as we are? Doth he not win his substance at the sword’s point as we do? Hath he not beaten Front-de-Bêuf and Malvoisin, even as we would beat them if we could? Is he not the enemy to life and death of Brian de Bois-Guilbert, whom we have so much reason to fear? And were all this otherwise, wouldst thou have us show a worse conscience than an unbeliever, a Hebrew Jew?”

“Nay, that were a shame,” muttered the other fellow; “and yet, when I served in the band of stout old Gandelyn, we had no such scruples of conscience. And this insolent peasant—he too, I warrant me, is to be dismissed scatheless?”

“Not if thou canst scathe him,” replied the Captain.— “Here, fellow,” continued he, addressing Gurth, “canst thou use the staff that thou starts to it so readily?”

“I think,”said Gurth, “thou shouldst be best able to reply to that question.”