reach you, or return to civilisation, as
circumstances may dictate."

"That is the arrangement," said Moreas.

After that the party lapsed into silence once more.

As nobody seemed inclined for conversation when these details had been
settled, they rolled themselves up in their blankets and said good-night
to the world. Silence had not taken possession of the camp more than
half an hour before Max felt the pressure of a hand upon his arm. He
rolled over to find Bertram making signals to him. He accordingly arose
and followed him to a spot at some little distance from the camp. When
they had assured themselves that they were not being followed, the
Englishman spoke.

"Your Royal Highness," he said; then, seeing that the other was about to
interrupt him, held up his hand. "Pardon me, but for a few minutes it is
necessary that I should forget our supposed equality, and remember that
you are a royal personage, and I only the son of a Yorkshire gentleman.
I'm not as a rule a man who thinks very much of titles, but there is no
getting away from the fact that a man who is, or should be, going to
rule a country, is called upon to take more care of his life than other
people. When we drew lots to-night as to who should accompany Moreas, I
hoped and believed that chance would favour myself. Fate, however,
willed otherwise. Now, sir, what I am going to say to you is this; if
you will consent to allow me to go forward in your place, it will be
conferring an honour upon me for which I shall be grateful to you to my
dying day. I can easily make an excuse to Moreas, and convince him that
we have come to the arrangement together. Nobody will suspect, and so
you will be saved from doing, what I really and truly believe to be, a
wrong act."

Max was more touched by the other's words than he could say.

"I thank you," he said, holding out his hand. "I know that you speak out
of kindness to me, but what you ask is impossible--quite impossible!
Really it is! The lot has fallen upon me, and, indeed, I can only ask
you to believe that I would not have it otherwise. I am quite willing to
go forward, and, when all is said and done, I believe I am the best
person for the work. You and Moreas are not particularly friendly, as
you must be aware, and there is no saying what might happen if you were
thrown so much into each other's society, without any one to see fair
play."

"You are thinking of the day when he fired that rifle at me in the