rd tell of--who gave Gunrig such a
drubbing?"

"The same. It seems that he has been smitten with leprosy, has been
banished from court, and has taken up his abode somewhere near the
Swamp."

"But if he has been banished, why do they send out to search for him, I
wonder?" said the robber chief.

"It is said," returned the scout, "that a friend of Bladud from the far
East wants to find him."

"Good! This is rare good luck. We, too, will search for Bladud and
slay him. It is not every day that a man has the chance to kill a giant
with leprosy, and a king's son into the bargain."

"I also learned," continued the scout, "that some lady of the court has
fled, and the army is to search of her too."

"What! more women? Why, it seems as if these woods here must be
swarming with them. I should not wonder, too, if it was Hudibras' own
daughter that has run away. Not unlikely, for the king is well known to
be a tyrannical old fellow. H'm! we will search for her also. If we
find them all, I shall have more than enough of wives--the king's
daughter, and Gadarn's daughter, and this run-away-lad, whoever she may
be! Learned you anything more?"

"Nothing more, except that Gadarn intends to make an early start
to-morrow morning."

"It is well. We, also, will make an early--an even earlier--start
to-morrow morning. To your food, now, my men, and then--to rest!"

While the robber chief was thus conversing with his scouts, two men were
advancing through the forest, one of whom was destined to interfere with
the plans which were so well conceived by Addedomar. These were our
friends Arkal and Maikar.

Filled with a sort of wild romance, which neither the waves of the sea
nor the dangers of the land could abate, these two shipmates marched
through the woods all unconscious, of course, of the important part they
were destined to play in that era of the world's history. The two
sailors were alone, having obtained leave to range right and left in
advance of the column to which they were attached, for the purpose of
hunting.

"We are not much to boast of in the way of shooting," remarked Arkal;
"but the troops don't know that, and good luck may prevent them finding
it out."

"Just so," returned Maikar, "good luck may also bring us within
arrow-shot of a wolf. I have set my heart on taking home a wolf-skin to
that little woman with the black eyes that I've spoken to you about
sometimes."

"Quite right, young man,"