ounded on your bed."

"He did that?" cried the King; and Leoni slowly bent his head.

"Then he has the making of a king within his breast. Brave boy!" cried
Francis; and he was silent for a few moments, while bending over the
side of the boat he scooped up the clear cold water in his hand and
drank again and again.

"Hah!" he cried. "That gives me power to think. Did I understand you
aright that I am escaping and have left that boy to bear the brunt of my
folly, to suffer for my madness imprisonment and maybe death?"

The doctor bent his head.

"Leoni," cried the King passionately, "is this acting like a king?"

"Sire, it is not for you to ask, nor yet for you to judge of this. Your
brave young esquire felt it to be his task, and he volunteered to play
his part, as either of us would have done. It was to save your life,
your servant's duty at a time like that."

"And you tell me that it is my duty as a king to sacrifice that boy just
entering the dawn of his young manhood so that I might live?"

"Yes, Sire; for your subjects' sake."

"I am the King, and judge of this. A thousand times no! It shall not
be."

"Sire, it must. What is one young life compared with yours?"

"Everything," cried the King, "if I am to live in peace."

"But, your Majesty, it is too late to think of that."

"Never too late while there is life," cried the King. "Loose the boat
and take those oars."

"What would your Majesty do?" cried Leoni.

"Go back to Henry and meet him face to face. Let him work his will on
me if he dares. But he shall not injure a hair of that brave boy's
head. Bah! He would not have dared."

"You are mistaken, Sire."

"In what?"

"In King Henry's intentions. He meant your death."

"What! In cold blood to slay a brother king?"

"Not a brother king, Sire, but the Comte de la Seine, who had entered
his Court in disguise."

"Impossible, Leoni! I repeat, he would not dare."

"Sire, your death warrant was made out."

"What!"

"I saw it, Sire, in Lord Hurst's hands; and he told me indirectly what
was to take place."

"Leoni!" cried the King.

"Those are the simple words of truth, Sire. That death warrant, signed
by the King's own hand, was the mainspring of my action. Was I not
justified in doing anything to save your life?"

The King was silent.

"Leoni!" he exclaimed at length. "I am faint with hunger. Is there no
place near where we can get food?"

"There is a farm we pas