“We shall see,” said the soldier, and seated himself at the table, and began to cut away valiantly at the roast meat. “Brother Bright-boots, come and eat,” cried he to the huntsman; “thou must be as hungry as I am, and cannot have better roast meat at home,” but the huntsman would not eat.

The robbers looked at the soldier in astonishment, and said, “The rascal uses no ceremony.”

After a while he said, “I have had enough food, now get me something good to drink.”

The captain was in the mood to humour him in this also, and called to the old woman, “Bring a bottle out of the cellar, and mind it be of the best.”