r-nails.

"Three parts gone," he said; "but enough left for the Comte's use. A
few drops will quell his hunger; double the quantity will make him sleep
in peace. When you can bear your fast no longer, you shall have a few
drops in water if you are a good boy."

"Bah!" growled Saint Simon. "I can bear hunger like a man."

The day glided by in perfect peace, the two rowers resting from the past
night's labours, and the King sleeping as quietly as a child; while from
time to time as Saint Simon glanced at him sadly, thinking of how he and
Leoni had been the cause of all the trouble to his friend, he could not
help a growing feeling of admiration within his breast as he saw how
able the doctor's ministrations were, as shown by the way in which he
had treated his master's serious wound.

It was during one of these musing fits, when he was wondering, to use
the homely phrase, how Denis was getting on, that Leoni, after a long
silence, spoke out decisively.

"We will wait till it is dark," he said. "It will not be long now--and
then row on through the night. It looks so clear that I expect we shall
have the moon to help us on our way. To-morrow morning we shall be
obliged to risk landing somewhere on the left bank, and then make our
way due south, walking till the King is weary--of course after one of us
has bought food of some kind, for he will never walk without. Hah!" he
continued, as he bent over the sleeping King and carefully examined his
face. "He is dreaming a good deal now."

"How do you know?" asked Saint Simon.

"By the motion of his eyes."

"Why, they are shut, sir."

"Yes, but look how they are turning about beneath his lids. He is going
through some imaginary scene--hunting perhaps."

Singularly enough, as the doctor spoke in a whisper, Francis proved the
correctness of Leoni's surmise, for he exclaimed:

"Yon bosky piece--quick! Lay on the hounds!"

Leoni drew back with a smile, and met Saint Simon's wondering eyes.

"Yes," he said; "he is getting to the end of his deep sleep. It will
not be long before he wakes, and I should say just at dark. Ah, good!
It is lightening in the east. Yonder comes the moon. We will start at
once; but I must cover him again. The mist is rising in the meadows,
and it promises a damp night."

As he spoke he bent over the King to draw his cloak about shoulder and
throat; but at the first touch of his hands the King started up and
caught them fast.