or Kelly," Charlie said, as he mounted his horse,
which had been saddled in readiness for him. "I am greatly obliged
to you for your very great kindness to me, and hope that I may some
day have an opportunity of repaying it."

"I hope not, Carstairs. I trust that we may meet again, but hope
that I sha'n't be in the position of a prisoner. However, strange
things have happened already in this war, and there is no saying
how fortune may go. Goodbye, and a pleasant journey."

A Russian officer took his place by the side of the Swede, and an
escort of twenty troopers rode behind them, as they trotted out
through the gate of the convent.

"It was very kind of the king to send for me," Charlie said to the
Swede, "and I am really sorry that you should have had so long a
ride on my account, Captain Pradovich."

"As to that, it is a trifle," the officer said. "If I had not been
riding here, I should be riding with the king elsewhere, so that I
am none the worse. But, in truth, I am glad I came, for yesterday
evening I saw the czar himself. I conversed with him for some time.
He expressed himself very courteously with respect to the king, and
to our army, against whom he seems to bear no sort of malice for
the defeat we inflicted on him at Narva. He spoke of it himself,
and said, 'you will see that, some day, we shall turn the tables
upon you.'

"The king will be pleased when I return with you, for we all feared
that you might be very badly hurt. All that we knew was that some
of your men had seen you cut down. After the battle was over, a
search was made for your body. When it could not be found,
questions were asked of some of our own men, and some wounded
Russians, who were lying near the spot where you had been seen to
fall.

"Our men had seen nothing, for, as the Russians closed in behind
your company as it advanced, they had shut their eyes and lay as if
dead, fearing that they might be run through, as they lay, by the
Cossack lances. The Russians, however, told us that they had seen
two of the Cossacks dismount, by the orders of one of their
officers, lift you on to a horse, and ride off with you. There was
therefore a certainty that you were still living, for the Russians
would assuredly not have troubled to carry off a dead body. His
majesty interested himself very much in the matter, and yesterday
morning sent me off to inquire if you were alive, and if so, to
propose an exchange.

"I was much pleased, when I