The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Path of the King, by John Buchan

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Title: The Path of the King

Author: John Buchan

Posting Date: November 17, 2008 [EBook #1966]
Release Date: November, 1999

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PATH OF THE KING ***

Produced by Mary Starr

THE PATH OF THE KING

by John Buchan

TO
MY WIFE
I DEDICATE THESE CHAPTERS
FIRST READ BY A COTSWOLD FIRE

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE
1. HIGHTOWN UNDER SUNFELL
2. THE ENGLISHMAN
3. THE WIFE OF FLANDERS
4. EYES OF YOUTH
5. THE MAID
6. THE WOOD OF LIFE
7. EAUCOURT BY THE WATERS
8. THE HIDDEN CITY
9. THE REGICIDE
10. THE MARPLOT
11. THE LIT CHAMBER
12. IN THE DARK LAND
13. THE LAST STAGE
14. THE END OF THE ROAD
EPILOGUE

Linum fumigans non exstinguet; in veritate educet judicium.
ISA. XLII.3.

THE PATH OF THE KING

by John Buchan

PROLOGUE

The three of us in that winter camp in the Selkirks were talking the
slow aimless talk of wearied men.

The Soldier, who had seen many campaigns, was riding his hobby of
the Civil War and descanting on Lee's tactics in the last Wilderness
struggle. I said something about the stark romance of it--of Jeb Stuart
flitting like a wraith through the forests; of Sheridan's attack at
Chattanooga, when the charging troops on the ridge were silhouetted
against a harvest moon; of Leonidas Polk, last of the warrior Bishops,
baptizing his fellow generals by the light of a mess candle. "Romance,"
I said, "attended the sombre grey and blue levies as faithfully as she
ever rode with knight-errant or crusader."

The Scholar, who was cutting a raw-hide thong, raised his wise eyes.

"Does it never occur to you fellows that we are all pretty mixed in our
notions? We look for romance in the well-cultivated garden-plots, and
when it springs out of virgin soil we are surprised, though any fool
might know it was the natural place for it."

He picked up a burning stick to relight