Part 15 (2/2)

Once in Charleroi, Philippe explained to Zelie what he wanted her to do.

Zelie agreed to follow out the plan, and Philippe gave her the letter.

Then Philippe started to run down the street.

Zelie cried out to Tom, ”Look! Quick! Philippe is running away!”

Tom was after the boy in a second, and Zelie quickly slipped Philippe's letter to Papa Pomme into the mail box.

But poor Philippe had to pay for this trick. Tom locked him up all day and gave him only bread and water.

Yet the boy's heart leaped with joy. Now the letter was off. It only remained for him to persuade Tom to spend the night in the cave.

It was pleasant country through which they were pa.s.sing. Along the banks of the Sambre (=san'-br=) River, they saw many women was.h.i.+ng clothes. Men on barges waved and called to them. These men seemed a happy lot. Old castles loomed up.

Monday arrived. The three travelers were nearing the Cave of the Crows.

”Have you ever heard the story of the Cave of the Crows, sir?” asked Philippe.

”No,” replied Tom. ”Tell it to me.”

He liked Philippe's stories. The little fellow had entertained him with many.

”They say,” began Philippe, ”that long, long years ago a wandering poet pa.s.sed this cave, and there he met a beautiful fairy. He fell in love with her and she with him. They married and lived in the cave together.

”But one day the fairy was called to a gathering in fairyland. The other fairies were angry to learn that she had married a mortal. As a punishment the poor fairy was changed into an ugly black crow with a hoa.r.s.e, terrible voice.

”She returned to the cave to her poet and found him also changed into a crow. But this did not spoil their love for each other. They lived happily in the cave for years and years, and they had many children.

There are thousands of black crows flying about the cave, shrieking and cawing. These are the descendants of the poet and the poor fairy.”

Tom shuddered.

”A very good place from which to keep away!” he laughed.

”Oh, no,” replied Philippe. ”On the contrary, I should like to go there.

I should like to go,” he added mysteriously, ”because it is said that whoever spends a night in the cave will find a bag of gold in the morning.”

Tom's eyes sparkled. Philippe's heart beat quickly.

He continued, ”Yes, it is believed that robbers once buried a bag of gold in the cave. Anyone who is brave enough to spend a night there may have it.”

Tom smiled, but looked doubtful.

”Let us go there, sir,” suggested Philippe. ”In the morning you shall find that bag of gold.”

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