mber. It will be death
if you do!"

All that day the lad sat by the fire or went to the well for water, of
which his patient drank continuously. During the night the prince was
very restless, and groaned a good deal, so the boy resolved to sit up
and watch by the fire. Next morning Bladud was delirious, and as he
could not rise even to fetch from the door the water for which he
thirsted, Cormac resolved to disobey orders and risk the consequences.
Entering the hut, therefore, and sitting down beside the patient, he
tended him for many days and nights--taking what rest he could obtain by
snatches beside the camp-fire.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

THE PIGS' CURE.

It was not long before our hero recovered from his delirium. Leading,
as he had been doing, an abstemious and healthy life, ordinary disease
could not long maintain its grasp of him. His superabundant life seemed
to cast it off with the ease with which his physical frame was able to
cast aside human foes. But he could not thus shake off the leprosy.

One of the first things he did on recovering consciousness was to
uncover his arm. The fatal spot had increased considerably in size.
With something of a shudder he looked round his little hut, endeavouring
to remember where he was and to recall recent events. He was alone at
the time, and he fancied the fight with the robbers and rescue of the
boy must have been all a dream. The name Cormac, however, puzzled him
not a little. Many a time before that had he dreamed of vivid scenes
and thrilling incidents, but never in his recollection had he dreamt a
name!

Being thoughtfully disposed, he lay meditating listlessly on this point
in that tranquil frame of mind which often accompanies convalescence,
and had almost fallen asleep when a slight noise outside awoke him. The
curtain-door was lifted, and Cormac, entering, sat quietly down on a
block of wood beside him.

Bladud became suddenly aware that he had not been dreaming, but he did
not move. Through his slightly opened eyelids he watched the lad while
he mixed some berries in a cup of water. As he lay thus silently
observant, he was deeply impressed with the handsome countenance of his
nurse and the graceful movements of his slight figure.

Presently the thought of his disease recurred to him--it was seldom,
indeed, absent from his mind--and the strict injunctions which he had
given to his young companion.

"Boy!--boy!" he cried suddenly, with a vig