mour, though not quite without hope; but hundreds of them scattered themselves over the country in search of the Magician.
The constables well-provided, with arms hastened, according to orders, towards a wood where it was thought the criminal could most easily hide himself. On the road thither they met a man with a long beard, whom they at first took for a wandering Jew, and accompanied, part of the way to learn if he could give them any information about the Magician. Hereupon the stranger, showed them a bow and an arrow, and assured them that he never failed in shooting with them, and could with these weapons keep off a thousand enemies. The constables stared upon him, and fancying that they could perceive the features of the Magician bunder the mask of the Jew, began to tremble in all their limbs; the wish to lead him back in triumph to the town struggled with their fear of the enchanted arrow; but all of them fell a few inches aside at every step, and thus a wide beircle was gradually formed around the pretended Jew.
He looked around him and discovered a falcon soaring high in the air above him; it now appeared like a little black speck in the heavens, but he bent his bow and presently the bird fell, transfixed by the arrow, into a marshy ditch all lovergrown with thorns. Fetch me the falcon and my arrow!” ocalled he out with a commanding voice to the constables, who hesitated long, but at last the terror with which his voice inspired them conquered, and one of them proceeded with faltering steps towards the place where the bird lay. ol Whilst he was yet picking his way over the marsh, the archer drew a little whistle out of his pocket and commenced playing a waltz, when lo! the poor fellow began to Owaltz about, and stretched out his hands as if to invite his companions, who stood gaping in astonishment upon him, to bejoin him! Presently they all rushed like mad people into sethe marsh, where they danced and waltzed till their senses reeled, and their hands and feet were grievously torn by the
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