Moreover, he wished to remain in the hut nearly up to the time of the Jew's return, as he was determined to wait in the forest, and revenge himself for the suffering he had caused him, and for the torture to which he intended to put him.
The evening before the day on which he decided to make the attempt, the charcoal burner and the Jew were in earnest conversation.

The word signifying brigand was frequently repeated, and, although he could not understand much more than this, he concluded, from the peasant's talk and gestures, that he had either come across some of these men in the forest, or had gathered from signs he had observed, perhaps from their fires, that they were there.
The Jew shrugged his shoulders when the narration was finished.

The presence of brigands was a matter of indifference to him.

The next day, the charcoal burner went off at noon.
"Where does he go to ?" Charlie asked his guard.
"He has got some charcoal fires alight, and is obliged to go and see to them.

They have to be kept covered up with wet leaves and earth, so that the wood shall only smoulder," the man said, as he lounged out of the hut to his usual seat.
Charlie waited a short time, then went to the pile of logs, and picked out a straight stick about a yard long and two inches in diameter.