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On the Island of Rügen, when one enters what is celebrated throughout northern Germany as a sort of primeval beech-forest of the Granitz, from the trunk of a huge tree a sign-board meets the wanderer's gaze, bearing an inscription stating that in this forest one may go about only if accompanied by a forest-keeper of His Highness, the Prince of Putbus, at five silver groschen the hour.

"A forest-keeper, like my father." "Then it would be well for you to learn to be a butcher, as I am doing, so you could kill wild animals and dress them." "Dress them!" exclaimed the boys in surprise. "Yes, cut them up for packing, as we do cattle. Do you see this butcher knife?" and he held it up to view. The triplets did not like the look of the butcher and his knife.

"I rise; Larsan follows me; we descend to the ground-floor of the chateau. I lead him to the little semi-circular room under the terrace beneath the window of the 'off-turning' gallery. I point to the door, now closed, open a short time before, under which a shaft of light is visible. "'The forest-keeper! says Fred. "'Come on! I whisper.

"I never was gladder in my life," affirmed Franz. "Now we feel safe, and are dry and warm and in good beds where we can sleep well." "And whom have we to thank for it but the young gentleman from Odenwald my Pixy," reminded Fritz. "If he had not barked, the forest-keeper would not have known we were there. Oh, we are so comfortable here, aren't we, Pixy? And we have you to thank for it."

There being no hope of overtaking him, we fired our last cartridges at him. But he still kept on running, going along the right side of the court towards the end of the right wing of the chateau, which had no other outlet than the door of the little chamber occupied by the forest-keeper. The man, though he was evidently wounded by our bullets, was now twenty yards ahead of us.

But they had not gone far when the forest-keeper, who had heard them singing, joined them; and they told him their trouble. "Oh, I will make that all right!" he said. "You need not go back. I will tell her all that you wished to say." "Tell her that we are very much obliged to her for her kindness to us," said Fritz, "and tell her our breakfast was first-class and we enjoyed it."

"Good friend, we are three boys on our holiday journey. We have been to Frankfort, and are on our way home to Michelstadt." "Who is in there with you?" "Three working people who allowed us to take shelter here from the rain." The forest-keeper opened the door, struck a light in his lantern and stepped in. "What brought you in here?" he asked of the three grown travelers. "There is no need to ask.

"There now!" he said, "we forgot to thank the forest-keeper for his goodness to us, and we would have had to sleep in our wet clothes and had no good beds or breakfast, had it not been for him. Let us run back and thank him." It seemed that Mr. Hartman had a presentiment that the triplets would have something more to say, for he had halted and was looking after them.

"He has done well not to come in here to-day!" he hissed. "Who is that man?" asked Rouletabille, returning to his omelette. "The Green Man," growled the innkeeper. "Don't you know him? Then all the better for you. He is not an acquaintance to make. Well, he is Monsieur Stangerson's forest-keeper."

"I will kill that dog if he don't keep quiet," said the butcher-boy in an angry but subdued tone. Fritz groped his way to his pet and put his hand over his mouth, but it was too late. The forest-keeper outside had heard the barking, and striking his musket upon the door, he asked, "Who's there?" It was now no use to keep silent and Fritz took it upon himself to answer.