uld
lose them all."

"But they are safe," said the King, "thanks to you, gentlemen. Poor
boys," he continued, as he passed amongst the ropes, each charger in
turn uttering a low, piteous whinny, and stretching out its muzzle to
receive the King's caress, each too snorting its satisfaction the next
moment, and impatiently pawing the deck.

"Morning, master!" cried the skipper, hurrying up. "Been a windy night,
but it will be all smooth directly. Wind's veered round to the north,
and coming off the shore. Sha'n't be getting on so fast now."

"But these horses," said the King; "they ought to have water and food."

"Not they, master. They wouldn't touch it if you gave them of the best.
They want to feel solid ground under their hoofs."

"And how soon will they get that?" asked Denis quickly.

"Two or three hours if the wind doesn't drop," replied the skipper;
"and," he continued, as he held up his hand and shouted an order or two
to his men to stand by the sheets, "it's chopping round again to the
south. Give us an hour like this, and we shall be in shelter, sailing
between the island and the mainland. You can't say but what we have had
a splendid run."

There was such a quaint comical expression upon the King's countenance
that Denis felt obliged to swing swiftly round and bend down to make
believe to loosen the slip-knot about his charger's leg.

"If I hadn't done so," he said afterwards to Saint Simon, "I should have
burst out laughing in the Comte's face. There," he added quickly, in
triumphant tones, "I have got it now!"

"Yes, and you would have got it then," replied Saint Simon, "for my lord
will forgive a good deal sooner than being laughed at."

This was some time later, when they were gliding gently on through the
smooth water on a bright sunny morning with their port close at hand and
full prospect of being, some time during the next half-hour, close up to
the landing-place; and before long so it proved, for the King, quite
recovered now from his indisposition, was in eager converse with the
skipper as to the best means of getting the horses ashore.

"Well, master, you see this: Southampton isn't Havre de Grace."

"Bah!" ejaculated the King impatiently.

"We had nothing to do there but walk the horses straight from the wharf
over the planks, and down through the gangway on to the deck; but you
see it's different here."

"Nonsense!" said the King. "There are landing-places here, for I can