and which Marlborough says must never
be yielded up again, we cannot safely try that way; for we might
well fall into the hands of some Spanish vessel, and languish,
unknown and uncared for, in Spanish dungeons. We cannot travel
through France, and reach it from the shores of Genoa; because it
were too great peril for Englishmen to ride through the dominions
of the French monarch. So we must needs land at some friendly Dutch
port, and ride through their country, and so into Westphalia, and
thence to these mountain regions which cut us off from our
destination.

"Have you ever seen snow mountains, Tom, towering to the very skies
in virgin whiteness, with the rivers of ice, miles in width,
flowing silently down their rocky sides? It is a strange and
marvellous sight when viewed for the first time. I could find it in
my heart to wish I stood in your shoes, that all these new things
might be seen and heard for the first time!"

"And I would that I knew more of these strange lands, and the ways
of the people there," answered Tom; "for I fear me lest mine
ignorance may lead us into peril. But if such a thing as that were
to befall, I would lay down my life to save yours, my lord."

"I believe you, Tom," answered the other very gravely. He was
silent a while, and then he said slowly, "Tom, I am going to say a
strange thing to yon--at least it would sound strange to some; and,
indeed, I should not dare to say it to every companion in peril.
But I believe you to be stanch and true."

"I trust you will ever find me so, my lord."

"Well, Tom, this is the word that I would say to you. It may chance
that things come to this pass with us, that one of us twain must
needs fall into the hands of the enemy, and die; for there is
little hope of any other end when that befalls. And if we know and
can so arrange matters, it must be you and not I who will fall into
that peril."

Tom looked back without flinching.

"You speak well, my lord," he said. "It must be my lot to die. You
will not find me hold back when the moment comes."

Lord Claud took his hand and held it in both of his.

"It must be you, Tom; and yet I would rather it were myself. But I
have that intrusted to me which I must speak in the Duke's ear. The
despatches are as little compared with what I have had from
Marlborough's own lips--what may not be trusted upon paper.
Moreover, I could find my way through the countries, where you
would be lost for lack of words t