The meal was coarse--he could scarcely touch it; but he drank the beer down thirstily, and took a crust of bread.

He slipped his ring, a great sapphire graven with his crest, off his finger, and held it out to the man.
"That is worth fifty double-Fredericks.

Will you take it in exchange for your rifle and some powder and ball ?" The German stared again, open-mouthed, and clinched the bargain eagerly.
He did not know anything about gems, but the splendor of this dazzled his eye, while he had guns more than enough, and could get many others at his lord's cost.

Cecil fastened a shot-belt round him, took a powder-flask and cartridge-case, and with a few words of thanks, went on his way.
Now that he held the rifle in his hand, he felt ready for the work that was before him; if hunted to bay, at any rate he could now have a struggle for his liberty.

The keeper stood bewildered, gazing blankly after him down the vista of pines.
"Hein! Hein!" he growled, as he looked at the sapphire sparkling in his broad, brown palm; "I never saw such a with-lavishness-wasteful-and-with-courteous-speech-laconic gentleman! I wish I had not let him have the gun; he will take his own life, belikes; ach, Gott! He will take his own life!" But Cecil had not bought it for that end--though he had called himself a fool for not sending a bullet through his brain, to quench in eternal darkness this ruined and wretched life that alone remained to him.