But Peter challenged Hezekiel to remain. The latter was unwilling, but said, after a while, 'Be it as you wish; I will count my money, and then we'll play dice at five florins the stake, for anything lower is, after all, but child's play.' He drew his purse, and, after counting, found he had a hundred florins left; now Peter knew how much he himself had left, without counting first. But if Hezekiel had won before, he now lost stake after stake, and swore most awfully. If he cast a _pasch_, Peter immediately cast one likewise, and always two points higher. At length he put down the last five florins on the table, saying, 'Once more; and if I lose this stake also, yet I will not leave off; you will then lend me some of the money you have won now, Peter; one honest fellow helps the other.' 'As much as you like, even if it were a hundred florins,' replied Peter, joyful at his gain, and fat Hezekiel rattled the dice and threw up fifteen; 'Pasch!' he exclaimed, 'now we'll see!' But Peter threw up eighteen, and, at this moment, a hoarse, well-known voice said behind him, 'So! that was the last.' He looked round, and behind him stood the gigantic figure of Michel the Dutchman. Terrified, he dropped the money he had already taken up. But fat Hezekiel, not seeing Michel, demanded that Peter should advance him ten florins for playing. As if in a dream, Peter hastily put his hand into his pocket, but there was no money; he searched in the other pocket, but in vain; he turned his coat inside out, not a farthing, however, fell out; and at this instant he first recollected his first wish, viz. to have always as much money in his pocket as fat Hezekiel. All had now vanished like smoke. The host and Hezekiel looked at him with astonishment as he still searched for and could not find his money; they would not believe that he had no more left; but when they at length searched his pockets, without finding anything, they were enraged, swearing that gambling Peter was an evil wizard, and had wished away all the money he had won home to his own house. Peter defended himself stoutly, but appearances were against him. Hezekiel protested he would tell this shocking story to all the people in the Schwarzwald, and the host vowed he would the following morning early go into the town and inform against Peter as a sorcerer, adding that he had no doubt of his being burnt alive. Upon this they fell furiously upon him, tore off his coat, and kicked him out of doors.