"It is almost certain that treasure has been hidden in the region which you came through last night. This ground was fought over for centuries by Wallachians, Saxons, and Turks. Almost every foot of soil in the countryside around here has been enriched by the blood of men, patriots or invaders. In the old days there were brave times. Austrians and Hungarians came up in hordes, and the patriots went out to meet them. The patriots were men and women, old people and children too. They waited on the rocks above the passes, so that they could destroy the invaders with their artificial avalanches. When the invader was triumphant he found almost nothing, because everything had been hidden in the friendly soil."

"But how," I said, "can it have remained hidden for so long, when there is an easy way to find it if anyone wants to look?" The Count smiled, and his lips went back over his gums, showing the 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 has 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 know where to look in daylight - not even for the marks he had made. I think I can swear that even you would not be able to find these places again?"