gle
us. Listen, I think I hear the dogs. No, I am mistaken." The King took
his horn and blew a blast; several horns answered him. Suddenly an
outrider appeared who blew another blast.

"The boar! the boar!" cried the King.

He galloped off, followed by the rest of the hunters who had rallied
round him.

The outrider was not mistaken. As the King advanced they began to hear
the barking of the pack, which consisted of more than sixty dogs, for
one after another they had let loose all the relays placed at the points
the boar had already passed. The King saw the boar again, and taking
advantage of a clump of high trees, he rushed after him, blowing his
horn with all his might.

For some time the princes followed him. But the King had such a strong
horse and was so carried away by his ardor, and he rode over such rough
roads and through such thick underbrush, that at first the ladies, then
the Duc de Guise and his gentlemen, and finally the two princes, were
forced to abandon him. Tavannes held out for a time longer, but at
length he too gave up.

Except Charles and a few outriders who, excited over a promised reward,
would not leave the King, everyone had gathered about the open space in
the centre of the wood. The two princes were together on a narrow path,
the Duc de Guise and his gentlemen had halted a hundred feet from them.
Further on were the ladies.

"Does it not really seem," said the Duc d'Alencon to Henry, indicating
by a wink the Duc de Guise, "that that man with his escort sheathed in
steel is the real king? Poor princes that we are, he does not even honor
us by a glance."

"Why should he treat us better than we treat our own relatives?" replied
Henry. "Why, brother, are not you and I prisoners at the court of
France, hostages from our party?"

Duc Francois started at these words, and looked at Henry as if to
provoke further explanation; but Henry had said more than he usually did
and was silent.

"What do you mean, Henry?" asked the Duc Francois, visibly annoyed that
his brother-in-law by stopping had left him to open the conversation.

"I say, brother," said Henry, "that all these men who are so well armed,
whose duty seems to be not to lose sight of us, look exactly like guards
preventing two people from running away."

"Running away? why? how?" asked D'Alencon, admirably successful in his
pretended surprise and innocence.

"You have a magnificent mount, Francois," said Henry, following out hi