their invincible chief. It raised the
reputation of King Kapchack to the skies. It crushed all domestic
treason with one blow. If Kapchack was king before, now he was
absolutely autocratic.

Where now was Ki Ki, the vainglorious hawk who had deemed that without
his aid nothing could be accomplished? Where the villainous crow, the
sombre and dark designing Kauc, whose murderous poniard would be thrust
into his own breast with envy? Where the cunning weasel, whose intrigues
were swept away like spiders' webs? Where were they all? They were
utterly at Kapchack's mercy. Mercy indeed! at his _mercy_--their instant
execution was already certain. His body-guard, crowding about him,
already began the paean.

He set out to return to his palace, flushed with a victory of which
history furnishes no parallel. It would have been well if he had
continued in this intention to at once return, summon his council, and
proclaim the traitors. Had he gone direct thither he must have met Eric,
the missel-thrush, who alone was permitted to frequent the orchard.
Eric, alarmed at seeing a stranger in the orchard, and at the
unprecedented circumstance of his ascending the ladder into the
apple-tree, had started away to find the king, and warn him that
something unusual was happening, and not to return till the coast was
clear. He had not yet heard of the battle, or rather double battle that
morning, nor did he know which way Kapchack had gone, but he considered
that most probably the woodpecker could tell him, and therefore flew
direct towards the copse to inquire.

If Kapchack had continued his flight straight to his palace he would
have passed over the copse, and the missel-thrush would have seen him
and delivered his message. But as he drew near home Kapchack saw the
clump of trees which belonged to Ki Ki not far distant upon his right.
The fell desire of vengeance seized upon him; he turned aside, intending
to kill Ki Ki with his own beak, but upon approaching nearer he saw that
the trees were vacant. Ki Ki, indeed, had had notice of the victory from
his retainers soaring in the air, and guessing that the king's first
step would be to destroy him, had instantly fled. Kapchack, seeing that
the hawk was not there, again pursued his return journey, but meantime
the missel-thrush had passed him.

The king was now within a few hundred yards of his fortress, the dome of
his palace was already visible, and the voices of his attendants rose
hi