The difficulties would only begin when they started alone.  As they were talking, the captain came across to them.

“I can guess,” he said, “that you are talking together as to the future.  I like you, young Englishman, and I like your companion, who seems an honest fellow, but I would not keep you with me by force.  I understand that you are not placed as we are.  We have to live.  Most of us would live honestly if we could, but at present it is the choice of doing as we do, or starving.  We occasionally take a few crowns, if we come across a fat trader, or may ease a rich farmer of his hoard, but it is but seldom such a chance comes in our way.  As a rule, we simply plunder because we must live.  It is different with you.  Your friends may be far away, but if you can get to them you would have all that you need.  Therefore, this life, which is hard and rough, to say nothing of its danger, does not suit you; but for all that, you must stay with us, for it would be madness for you to attempt to escape.

“As I told you, the peasants are maddened, and would kill any passing stranger as they would a wild beast.  They would regard him as a spy of some band like ours, or of a company of disbanded soldiers, sent forward to discover which houses and villages are best worth plundering.  In your case, you have other dangers to fear.  You may be sure that news has been sent from Warsaw to all the different governors, with orders for your arrest for killing Ben Soloman, and these orders will be transmitted to every town and village.  Your hair and eyes would at once betray you as strangers, and your ignorance of the language would be fatal to you.  If, therefore, you escaped being killed as a robber by the peasants, you would run the risk of arrest at the first town or village you entered.

“Translate that to him, Stanislas.  He is learning our language fast, but he cannot understand all that.”

“That is just what we were talking about,” Charlie said, when Stanislas had repeated the captain’s speech, “and the danger seems too great to be risked.  Think you, that when we get farther to the east, we shall be able to make our way more easily up into Livonia?”

“Much more easily, because the forest is more extensive there; but not until the winter is over.  The cold will be terrible, and it would be death to sleep without shelter.  Besides, the forests are infested with wolves, who roam about in packs, and would scent and follow and devour you.  But when spring comes, you can turn your faces to the north, and leave us if you think fit, and I promise you that no hindrance shall be thrown in your way.  I only ask you not to risk your lives by trying now to pass through Poland alone.”

“I think you are right, Ladislas, and I promise you that we will not attempt to leave you during our journey east.  As you say, it would be impossible for us to travel after winter had once set in.  It is now the end of September.”