Sloan, `than if you had him ready to throw into the furnace, and I
hope it will be the case with him likewise.'

`Why, have you been in another great danger?' says the knight.
`I would be glad to hear the story too, and if it be as wonderful as
the last, I will pardon this young man as I did the other.'

`My way of living, sir,' says the Black Thief, `was not good,
as I told you before; and being at a certain time fairly run out of
cash, and meeting with no enterprise worthy of notice, I was reduced
to great straits. At length a rich bishop died in the neighbourhood I
was then in, and I heard he was interred with a great deal of jewels
and rich robes upon him, all which I intended in a short time
to be master of. Accordingly that very night I set about it, and
coming to the place, I understood he was placed at the further end
of a long dark vault, which I slowly entered. I had not gone in
far until I heard a foot coming towards me with a quick pace, and
although naturally bold and daring, yet, thinking of the deceased
bishop and the crime I was engaged in, I lost courage, and ran
towards the entrance of the vault. I had retreated but a few paces
when I observed, between me and the light, the figure of a tall
black man standing in the entrance. Being in great fear and not
knowing how to pass, I fired a pistol at him, and he immediately
fell across the entrance. Perceiving he still retained the figure of
a mortal man, I began to imagine that it could not be the bishop's
ghost; recovering myself therefore from the fear I was in, I
ventured to the upper end of the vault, where I found a large
bundle, and upon further examination I found that the corpse was
already rifled, and that which I had taken to be a ghost was no
more than one of his own clergy. I was then very sorry that I had