ken it, but he declined altogether,
saying that he was very comfortable as he was. His colonel would
have made him a sergeant at once, but he refused that also.

"Just at present he is still looking after your horse, and helping
generally in Keith's stable. His wound was on the head, and he is
scarcely fit for duty with his regiment, so of course he will now
fall in to his place with you again."

Fergus went down to the stable, where he was received with the
greatest delight by Karl; whose pride in his master was great,
after his exploit at Count Eulenfurst's, and had been heightened by
the feeling excited in the army at his having saved the cavalry
from destruction.

"I thought that you would be back by the spring, Captain," he said.
"Donald and I have talked it over, many a time, and we were of one
mind that, if any one could get away from an Austrian prison, you
would do it."

Chapter 8: Prague.

The next morning Fergus rode over to see Count Eulenfurst, found
him quite restored to health, and was received by him, the
countess, and Thirza with great pleasure.

[Illustration: Fergus was received by the count, the countess
and Thirza with great pleasure]

"My return in safety is in no small degree due to you, count. Had
it not been for the letter to Count Platurn, with which the
countess furnished me, I doubt whether I should have been able to
get through; or at any rate, if I had done so it could only have
been with many hardships and dangers, and certainly great delay."

"I have no doubt that the help you received from the count was of
considerable assistance to you, and lessened your difficulties
much, Captain Drummond; but I am sure you would have managed,
without it. Had you formed any plans as to what you would have
done, had you found him absent?"

"I had thought of several things, count, but I had settled on
nothing. I should have remained but a day in Vienna, and should
have exchanged the suit I had got from the innkeeper for some
other. My idea was that I had best join one of the convoys of
provisions going up to Bohemia. I calculated that I should have no
difficulty in obtaining a place as a driver, for of course the
service is not popular, and any of the men would have been glad
enough for me to take his place. I might thus have got forward as
far as Prague. After that I must have taken my chance, and I think
I could, in the same sort of way, have got as far as Leitmeritz;
but there