"'Tis true," said Erhard in a low voice; "could not have known it so long--" "And devil take me if I understand it myself, Marquis," said the baron. Shrugging his shoulders and smiling, the Marquis drew from his pocket a little book bound in leather, and advanced towards Erhard: "Look here, you old wild boar, here's my conjuring-book." The huntsman recoiled from it with a look of fright. The Marquis opened the book, and spread out on his saddle-bow a forest map especially prepared for imperial hunting, and on which all the enclosures, routes, paths, haunts and passes of the animals were minutely indicated and explained. "The map of the imperial hunting-ground!" cried the baron; "I ought to have guessed it. There is the mystery all explained. But you must have great insight, a rare familiarity with the chase, to be able to make such use of it. Ah, Marquis, Marquis, you have not your equal in Europe. To start a stag the first time that one hunts in a forest,--that is the most skilful thing I ever saw I Do you understand now, you old fool?" said the baron to the huntsman; "you ought to go down on your knees to the Marquis, our master in everything." "Yes, yes, my lord, I understand, and God be praised, for it would have been a great misfortune;" saying these words, Erhard took his ramrod and drew his charge. "What are you doing, Erhard?" said the baron. The huntsman showed the baron a black ball, on which was traced a cross, and said to him: "At the first enclosure I should nevertheless have sent this charmed ball into the breast of the Marquis, whom I took for the devil; old Ralph said there was nothing like it to lay such evil spirits." "Wretch!" cried the baron. "He is right," said Létorière, with the greatest _sang-froid_; "but you have forgotten, Erhard, that it is necessary to make the charm complete, to have three pieces of gold in your left pocket in order that the devil cannot enter into your purse;" and the Marquis threw three louis to Erhard, who, this time, did not bury them under the leaves. The stag which was started was soon in full career. It is unnecessary to describe the various incidents of this chase, during which Létorière showed consummate skill. The animal was taken, and the Marquis, arriving first at the death, bravely killed him with one blow of the knife. The huntsmen arrived at the castle at nightfall. Selbitz had as usual made ready the bacon, the sauer-kraut, the venison, the great, the medium, and the little tankards well filled. As on the previous night, the baron and the Marquis did honor to this repast; as before, they filled their pipes after supper, and established themselves at the corner of the fireplace, while the major-domo occupied himself with the cares of the household. Although the baron felt subjugated by the jovial spirit and the open and resolute character of the Marquis, he was a little vexed at meeting in so young a man an unconquered rival either at the chase or table.