what had happened. Finally, he caught sight of Hans coming along
in this fashion, and was so frightened that he did not know what
to do, but he shut the gate and put on the bar. When Hans
reached the gate of the courtyard, he laid down the trees and
hammered at it, but no one came to open it. He then took the
trees and tossed them over the barn into the yard, and the cart
after them, so that every wheel flew off in a different
direction.

When the squire saw this, he thought to himself, 'The horses will
come the same way if I don't open the door,' so he did this.

'Good day, master,' said Hans, and put the horses into the
stable, and went into the kitchen, to get something to eat. At
length the other men came home with their loads. When they came
in, Hans said to them, 'Do you remember the bargain we made last
night? Which of you is it that's going to be hanged?' 'Oh,'
said they, 'that was only a joke; it didn't mean anything.' 'Oh
well, it doesn't matter, 'said Hans, and there was no more about
it.

The squire, however, and his wife and the steward, had much to
say to each other about the terrible man they had got, and all
were agreed that they must get rid of him in some way or other.
The steward said that he would manage this all right. Next
morning they were to clean the well, and they would use of that
opportunity. They would get him down into the well, and then
have a big mill-stone ready to throw down on top of him--that
would settle him. After that they could just fill in the well,
and then escape being at any expense for his funeral. Both the