nearly began the long
journey that time, my friend."

He had broken ground apparently in disorder, and by the feel of his sword
I made sure he had in mind to parry; but the man was as full of tricks as
the French King Louis and with incredible swiftness he sent a straight
thrust in high tierce--a thrust which sharply stung my ribs only, since I
had flung myself aside in time to save my vitals.

After that came the end. He caught me full and fair in the side of the
neck. A moist stifling filled my throat and the turf whirled up to meet
the sky. I knew nothing but a mad surge of rage that he had cut me to
pieces and I had never touched him once. As I went down I flung myself
forward at him wildly. It is to be supposed that he was off guard for the
moment, supposing me a man already dead. My blade slipped along his,
lurched farther forward, at last struck something soft and ripped down. A
hundred crimson points zigzagged before my eyes, and I dropped down into
unconsciousness in a heap.

V

THE HUE AND CRY

Languidly I came back to a world that faded and grew clear again most
puzzlingly, that danced and jerked to and fro in oddly irresponsible
fashion. At first too deadly weary to explain the situation to myself, I
presently made out that I was in a coach which lurched prodigiously and
filled me with sharp pains. Fronting me was the apparently lifeless body
of a man propped in the corner with the head against the cushions, the
white face grinning horridly at me. 'Twas the face of Volney. I stirred to
get it out of my line of vision, and a soft, firm hand restrained me
gently.

"You are not to be stirring," a sweet voice said. Then to herself its
owner added, ever so softly and so happily, "Thaing do Dhia (Thank God.)
He iss alive--he iss alive!"

I pointed feebly a leaden finger at the white face over against me with
the shine of the moon on it.

"Dead?"

"No. He hass just fainted. You are not to talk!"

"And Donald Roy----?"

The imperious little hand slipped down to cover my mouth, and Kenneth
Montagu kissed it where it lay. For a minute she did not lift the hand,
what time I lay in a dream of warm happiness. A chuckle from the opposite
seat aroused me. The eyes in the colourless face had opened, and Volney
sat looking at us with an ironic smile.

"I must have fallen asleep--and before a lady. A thousand apologies! And
for awaking so inopportunely, ten thousand more!"

He changed his position th