my sword in my hand and all the gold along with me. However,
when they came to the tree they found what I had done, and making
further use of their hellish art, one of them was changed into a
smith's anvil and another into a piece of iron, of which the third
soon made a hatchet. Having the hatchet made, she fell to cutting
down the tree, and in the course of an hour it began to shake
with me. At length it began to bend, and I found that one or
two blows at the most would put it down. I then began to think
that my death was inevitable, considering that those who were
capable of doing so much would soon end my life; but just
as she had the stroke drawn that would terminate my fate, the
cock crew, and the witches disappeared, having resumed their
natural shapes for fear of being known, and I got safe off with my
bags of gold.

`Now, sir,' says he to the Knight of the Glen, `if that be not as
great an adventure as ever you heard, to be within one blow of a
hatchet of my end, and that blow even drawn, and after all to
escape, I leave it to yourself.'

`Well, I cannot say but it is very extraordinary,' says the Knight
of the Glen, `and on that account pardon this young man his crime;
so stir up the fire, till I boil this second one.'

`Indeed,' says the Black Thief, `I would fain think he would not
die this time either.'

`How so?' says the knight; `it is impossible for him to escape.'

`I escaped death more wonderfully myself,' says the Thief of