dogs cross the end
of the path where they were all gathered; then Charles IX., like an
infernal hunter, hatless, the horn at his mouth blowing enough to burst
his lungs; three or four outriders followed. Tavannes had disappeared.

"The King!" cried the Duc d'Alencon, and he rode after him.

Reassured by the presence of his good friends, Henry signed to them not
to leave, and advanced towards the ladies.

"Well!" said Marguerite, taking a few steps towards him.

"Well, madame," said Henry, "we are hunting the wild boar."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, the wind has changed since morning; but I believe you predicted
this."

"These changes of the wind are bad for hunting, are they not, monsieur?"
asked Marguerite.

"Yes," said Henry; "they sometimes upset all plans, which have to be
made over again." Just then the barking of the dogs began to be heard as
they rapidly approached, and a sort of noisy dust warned the hunters to
be on their guard. Each one raised his head and listened.

Almost immediately the boar appeared again, but instead of returning to
the woods, he followed the road that led directly to the open space
where were the ladies, the gentlemen paying court to them, and the
hunters who had given up the chase.

Behind the animal came thirty or forty great dogs, panting; then, twenty
feet behind them, King Charles without hat or cloak, his clothes torn by
the thorns, his face and hands covered with blood.

One or two outriders were with him.

The King stopped blowing his horn only to urge on his dogs, and stopped
urging on his dogs only to return to his horn. He saw no one. Had his
horse stumbled, he might have cried out as did Richard III.: "My kingdom
for a horse!" But the horse seemed as eager as his master. His feet did
not touch the ground, and his nostrils breathed forth fire. Boar, dogs,
and King passed like a dream.

"Halloo! halloo!" cried the King as he went by, raising the horn to his
bloody lips.

A few feet behind him came the Duc d'Alencon and two outriders. But the
horses of the others had given out or else they were lost.

Everyone started after the King, for it was evident that the boar would
soon be taken.

In fact, at the end of about ten minutes the animal left the path it had
been following, and sprang into the bushes; but reaching an open space,
it ran to a rock and faced the dogs.

At the shouts from Charles, who had followed it, everyone drew near.

They arrived at an interes