lo i a fig e crouched on a heap in the comer pale as ashes and shivering why it is the landlord said get up thou heart shouted one of the why man the thieves are bound and we are that bound them up i and show us thy wine for no bottles see i here what be the bound the pale landlord good news w � w � that will i honest and he rose with joints and offered to lead the way to tl e wine cellar but interposed you are all in the dark comrades he is in league with the thieves good soldier me in league with the ao cursed robbers is that reasonable the girl said so any way the and thb hearth the girl what ah i gone her i interposed the other the girl it not here hat gone on to the so let the settle whether this be g ty or no for we caught him not in the act and let him draw ns our wine one moment said why he the girl k he be a true man he bless her as we do alas sir i said the landlord i have but my good name to live by and i cursed her to you because you said she had me i thou art a and where is the thief that cannot lie with a smooth ce therefore hold him comrades a prisoner can draw wine an if his hands be not bound the landlord offered no objection but on contrary said he would with pleasure show them where his little stock of wine was but hoped they would pay for what they should drink for his rent was due this two months the smiled grimly at his simplicity as they thought it one of them laid a hand quietly but firmly on his shoulder the other led on with the torch they had reached the threshold when cried halt i � t here be bottles in this comer advance thy light the bearer went towards him he had just taken off his and was the heap the landlord had just been crouched upon nay nay cried the landlord the wine is in the next cellar there is nothing there nothing is mighty hard then said and drew put something with his hand from the heap it proved to he only a bone threw it on the floor it rattled there is there but the bones of the house said the landlord just now twas nothing now that we have something tis nothing but bones here s another look at this one comrade and you come too and look at it and bring you smooth along the with the torch whose name was held the bone to the light and turned it round and round � well well if this was a field of battle i should say twas the bone of a man no more no less but t a battle field nor a tis an inn true mate but yon s face is as good a light to me as a field of battle i read the bone by it bring yon face nearer i say when the is a missing and the house dog can t look at you without his tail creeping between his legs the thief g ood brothers mine my mind it d me the deeper i thrust the more if these bones could their tale they would make true men s flesh that heard it alas young man what hideous fancies are these the bones are bones of and sheep and kid and not as you think of men and women holy saints preserve us hold thy peace i thy words are air thou hast not got by the ear that know not a from their s ribs but soldiers � men that have gone to look for their dear com and found their bones picked as clean by the as these i doubt have been by thee and thy mates men and women thou and when i a word of women s bones make a child suspect thee field of battle comrade i was not this house a field of battle half an hour drag him dose to me let me read his ce now then what is this thou and he thrust a small object suddenly in his � � alas i know not well i would not swear neither but it is to� like the thumb bone of a man s hand mates my flesh churchyard how know i this is not one and he now drew his sword out of the and began to the heap of earth and broken and bones out on the floor the landlord assured him he but wasted his time we poor are said he we give short measure aod the wine we are fain to do these things the laws are so unjust to us but we are not how could we afford to kill our customers may heaven s light strike me dead if there be any bones there but such as have used for meat tis the kitchen them here i swear by god s holy mother by holy paul by holy and my patron ah held out a bone under his eye in dead silence it was a bone no man however ignorant however lying could confound with those of sheep or oxen the sight of it shut the lying lips and the heartless heart the landlord s hair rose visibly on his head like and his knees gave way as if his limbs had been struck from under him but the dragged him fiercely up and kept him erect under the torch string fascinated at the dead skull which white as the living cheek opposed but no glared back again at its murderer whose pale lips now opened and opened but could utter no sound ah i said solemnly 