his than "Ah!" He
said it very impressively, and with a word of farewell returned to his
camp.

He was in brilliant form over the wassail bowl that night as he drew a
picture of his triumphant dissimulation. It is only fair to say that
the King of Barodia was in brilliant form too. . . .

For several weeks after this the battle raged. Sometimes the whole
Euralian army would line up outside its camp and call upon the
Barodians to fight; at other times the Barodian army would form fours
in full view of the Euralians in the hope of provoking a conflict. At
intervals the two Chancellors would look up old spells, scour the
country for wizards, or send each other insulting messages. At the
end of a month it was difficult to say which side had obtained the
advantage.

A little hill surmounted by a single tree lay half way between the two
camps. Thither one fine morning came the two Kings and the two
Chancellors on bloody business bent. (The phrase is Roger's.) Their
object was nothing less than to arrange that personal fight between
the two monarchs which was always a feature of Barodo-Euralian
warfare. The two Kings having shaken hands, their Chancellors
proceeded to settle the details.

"I suppose," said the Chancellor of Barodia, "that your Majesties will
wish to fight with swords?"

"Certainly," said the King of Barodia promptly; so promptly that
Merriwig felt certain that he had a Magic Sword too.

"Cloaks of Darkness are not allowed, of course," said the Chancellor
of Euralia.

"Why, have _you_ got one?" said each King quickly to the other.

Merriwig was the first to recover himself.

"I have one--naturally," he said. "It's a curious thing that the only
one of my subjects who has one is my--er--swineherd."

"That's funny," said the King of Barodia. "My swineherd has one too."

"Of course," said Merriwig, "they are almost a necessity to
swineherding."

"Particularly in the milking season," said the King of Barodia.

They looked at each other with added respect. Not many Kings in those
days had the technicalities of such a humble trade at their fingers'
ends.

The Chancellor of Barodia has been referring to the precedents.

"It was after the famous conflict between the two grandfathers of your
Majesties that the use of the Magic Cloak in personal combats was
discontinued."

"Great-grandfathers," said the Chancellor of Euralia.

"Grandfathers, I think."

"Great-grandfathers, if I am not