could disengage
his weapon the other three assailants were upon them, and the fight
was over.

"Surrender!" cried one, holding his point against Tristram's chest.

"Must I?" the latter inquired, turning to Captain Barker.

"H'm, there seems to be no choice."

"And you also, sir."

"Certainly. Here is my sword; it belongs to your captain yonder,
whom you may recognise by his uniform. Assure him, with my
compliments--"

He was interrupted by the clatter of hoofs, and two gentlemen on
horseback came cantering up the road and drew rein suddenly.

"Hey! What have we here?" demanded a foreign voice.

The soldiers turned and presented arms in a flurry. The taller of
the two horsemen was an extremely handsome cavalier in a nut-brown
peruque and scarlet riding-suit on which several orders glistened.
He bestrode a black charger of remarkable size and beauty; and
seemed, by his stature and presence, to domineer over his companion,
a small man with a hooked nose and an extremely emaciated face, who
wore a plain habit of dark purple and rode a sorrel blood-mare of no
especial points. Nevertheless it was this little man who had spoken,
and at the sound of his voice a whisper ran through the crowd:

"The King!"

It was, in fact, his Majesty King William III., who, tired of the
slow jolting of the royal coach along the abominable road of that
period, had exchanged that equipage for his favourite mare and
cantered ahead of his escort, refreshing his senses in the strong
breeze that swept from seaward across the level country.

"Sir, will you be good enough to explain?" he demanded again,
addressing the unfortunate officer, who had picked himself up from
the road and stood covered with shame and swellings.

"Your Majesty, the two prisoners here were engaged in obstructing
your Majesty's high-road."

"They seem to be still doing so."

"And knowing that your Majesty was shortly expected to pass, I
proceeded to remove them."

"But what is this? A company of my foot-guards in confusion!
One-two-three-four of them wounded--if, indeed, one is not killed
outright! Do you tell me that this old man and this boy have done it
all, besides bruising the faces of a dozen more?"

"They and a swarm of cursed bees, your Majesty."

"This is incredible! . . . Bees?"

"Yes, your Majesty," put in Captain Barker, "he is telling you the
truth. You see, it happened that my bees swarmed this afternoon, and
had no better taste th