basin, clambered up on the gravel and allowed the stream to fall over his glistening shoulders, reveling in Nature’s shower-bath.  Satisfied at length, he indulged in another rainbow plunge, grasped the bag, and rose again to the surface.  Coming ashore, he unloosened the swollen thongs, poured out the stones along the strand, then, after a moment’s thought, he wrung the water out of the bag itself, and tied it to his belt, for there was no predicting where the men would wander when once they awoke, and if he threw it away among the bushes, it might be found, breeding first wonder how it came there, and then suspicion of the trick.

Greusel walked back to camp by the other bank of the stream.  Although the early rays of the sun percolated through the upper branches of the trees above them, the eighteen prone men slept as if they were but seven.  He sprang over the brook, touched the recumbent Ebearhard with his foot, and so awoke him.  This excellent man yawned, and stretched out his arms above his head.

“You’re an early bird, Greusel,” he said.  “Have you got the worm?”

“Yes, I have,” replied the latter.  “I found it in the basin of a waterfall nearly a league from here,” and with that he drew aside his cloak, showing the still wet but empty bag.

For a few moments Ebearhard did not understand.  He rose and shook himself, glancing about him.

“Great Jove!” he cried, “this surely isn’t the stream by which we lay down last night?  Do you mean to tell me that thread of water struck terror into my heart only a few hours ago?  I never slept out of doors before in all my life, and could not have imagined it would produce such an effect.  I see what you mean now.  You have found the bag which Roland threw into the foaming torrent.”

“Yes; I was as much astonished at the transformation as you when I awoke, and then it occurred to me that when our friends saw the reduction of the rivulet, they would forthwith begin a treasure-hunt, so I determined to obliterate the evidence.”

“Was the bag really full of stones?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Well, that is a lesson to me.  I believe after all that Roland is helplessly truthful, but last night I thought he befooled us.  I was certain it was the bag of coin he had thrown away, and becoming ashamed of himself, had lied to us.”

“How could you imagine that?  He showed us both the bag of money.”

“He produced a bag full of something, but I, being the doubting Thomas of the group, was not convinced it contained money.”

“Ah, that reminds me, Ebearhard; here is the bag we saw last night.  I discovered it attached to my belt this morning.”

“He attached it to the wrong belt, then, for you believed him.  He should have tied it to mine.  What reason does he give for presenting it to you?”

“Ah, now you touch a point of anxiety in my own mind.  I have seen nothing of Roland this morning.  I surmised that he had arisen before me, and expected to meet him somewhere down the stream, but have not done so.”