ud, and streaming with
water, sat by him on the bank, panting, gasping, and trying to gather
breath and clear his throat from the mud he had swallowed.

"Thanks, good lad, well done," he articulated. "Those fellows! where
are they?" And feeling in his bosom, he brought out a gold whistle
suspended by a chain. "Blow it," he said, taking off the chain, "my
mouth is too full of slime."

Ambrose blew a loud shrill call, but it seemed to reach no one but
Stephen, whom he presently saw dashing towards them.

"Here is my brother coming, sir," he said, as he gave his endeavours to
help the stranger to free himself from the mud that clung to him, and
which was in some places thick enough to be scraped off with a knife.
He kept up a continual interchange of exclamations at his plight,
whistles and shouts for his people, and imprecations on their tardiness,
until Stephen was near enough to show that the hawk had been recovered,
and then he joyfully called out, "Ha! hast thou got her? Why, flat-caps
as ye are, ye put all my fellows to shame! How now, thou errant bird,
dost know thy master, or take him for a mud wall? Kite that thou art,
to have led me such a dance! And what's your name, my brave lads? Ye
must have been bred to wood-craft."

Ambrose explained both their parentage and their present occupation, but
was apparently heeded but little. "Wot ye how to get out of this
quagmire?" was the question.

"I never was here before, sir," said Stephen; "but yonder lies the
Tower, and if we keep along by this dyke, it must lead us out
somewhere."

"Well said, boy, I must be moving, or the mud will dry on me, and I
shall stand here as though I were turned to stone by the Gorgon's head!
So have with thee! Go on first, master hawk-tamer. What will bear thee
will bear me!"

There was an imperative tone about him that surprised the brothers, and
Ambrose looking at him from head to foot, felt sure that it was some
great man at the least, whom it had been his hap to rescue. Indeed, he
began to have further suspicions when they came to a pool of clearer
water, beyond which was firmer ground, and the stranger with an
exclamation of joy, borrowed Stephen's cap, and, scooping up the water
with it, washed his face and head, disclosing the golden hair and beard,
fair complexion, and handsome square face he had seen more than once
before.

He whispered to Stephen, "'Tis the King!"

"Ha! ha!" laughed Henry, "hast found him ou