"It is almost certain that treasure is hidden along the road you came on last night. This ground was fought over for centuries by Wallachians, Saxons, and Turks. In the countryside around here, almost every bit of soil has been covered by the blood of men, sometimes the blood of men defending the country, sometimes the blood of invaders. In the old days there were brave times. Many, many Austrians and Hungarians came to attack us, and the people went out to meet them. They were men and women, old people and children too. They waited on the rocks above the passes. when the invaders came down the people pushed large piles of rocks down on them. When the invader defeated us, he found almost nothing, because everything had been hidden in the friendly soil."

"But how," I said, "can it have stayed hidden for so long, when anyone who wants to look has an easy way to find it?" The Count smiled and his lips went back, showing his long, sharp, canine teeth.

"Because a peasant has the heart of a coward and a fool! Those flames only appear on one night. And on that night no-one in this country will step outside his house unless he really needs to. And, dear Sir, even if he did go outside he would not know what to do. Why, even the man who marked the place of the flame would not be able to find that place in daylight - he would not even be able to find the marks he had made. I think I can be sure that even you would not be able to find these places again."