m they might be called
to combat. Nor did they expect in vain, for suddenly a loud growl
assailed their ears, and the moon, just then rising, exhibited to them a
whole army of bears, prepared to dispute their onward progress.

"Draw your broad-sword, mon, and follow me," cried Saint Andrew, shaking
his spear.

The Squire, tucking up his plaid carefully, that it might not be torn or
soiled, with loud shouts obeyed, and soon both were dashing and slashing
away among the infuriated brutes. The heads of numbers rolled upon the
snow, which for miles round was ensanguined with their blood.

"Few creatures are more difficult to get rid of than bears," observed
the Knight, charging again. "On, Murdoch, on, we'll do it if it is to
be done, for what men dare they can do!"

Thus shouting and slaying, the Knight and his Squire fought on for many
hours, till the survivors of the bears, discovering that they were
likely to get the worst of it in the end, took to flight, and stopped
not till they reached the North Pole, where they stopped only because
they could go no further, and where Saint Andrew agreed that it was not
worth while following them.

His next encounter was with a nation of people with heads like foxes,
from whose cunning arts and guiles he had the greatest difficulty in
escaping. Although conquered by the power of his arms, they still
appeared with fresh tricks to entrap him. When, at length, he had
fought his way out from among them, he found himself in a dismal vale,
the air still dark as Erebus, where he heard the blowing of unseen
furnaces, the boiling of cauldrons, the rattling or armour, the
trampling of horses, the jingling of chains, the roaring of wild beasts,
the hissing of serpents, and the cries of unearthly spirits, and such
like dreadful sounds, which would have made any other hearts than those
of Saint Andrew of Scotland, and of his faithful squire, Murdoch
McAlpine of that ilk, quake and tremble with fear; but passing calmly
amid them, and undergoing hardships incredible, under which knights and
squires, born in more southern climes, would have sunk exhausted, they
arrived in the kingdom of Georgia, nor rested till they reached the foot
of the mountain on which stood the castle within whose iron walls the
six fair daughters of the King were still held in durance, in the shape
of swans, with golden crowns upon their heads.

When the valiant Champion of Scotland beheld the lofty situation of t