than that at which a man usually begins a journey on an
inspiring morning.

Entering the forest at last, he relaxed no precaution, but kept to the
middle of the road with his stout stick ready in his hand. Whether
Jock found his men or not he never learned, but at the second turning
five stalwart ruffians fell upon him; two armed with knives, and three
with cudgels. The king's early athletic training was to be put to a
practical test. His first action was to break the wrist of one of the
scoundrels who held a knife, but before he could pay attention to any
of the others he had received two or three resounding blows from the
cudgels, and now was fully occupied warding off their strokes, backing
down the road to keep his assailants in front of him. His great
agility gave him an advantage over the comparative clumsiness of the
four yokels who pressed him, but he was well aware that an unguarded
blow might lay him at their mercy. He was more afraid of the single
knife than of the three clubs, and springing through a fortunate
opening was delighted to crack the crown of the man who held the
blade, stretching him helpless in a cart rut. The three who remained
seemed in no way disheartened by the discomfiture of their comrades,
but came on with greater fury. The king retreated and retreated
baffling their evident desire to get in his rear, and thus the
fighting four came to the corner of the road that James had passed a
short time previously. One of the trio got in a nasty crack on the top
of the beggar's bonnet, which brought him to his knees, and before he
could recover his footing, a blow on the shoulder felled him. At this
critical juncture there rose a wild shout down the road, for the
fighting party, in coming round the turn, had brought themselves
within view of a sturdy pedestrian forging along at a great pace,
which he nevertheless marvellously accelerated on seeing the melee.
For a moment the dazed man on the ground thought that the landlord
had come to his rescue, but it was not so. It seemed as if a remnant
of the storm had swept like a whirlwind among the aggressors, for the
newcomer in the fray, with savage exclamations, which showed his
delight in a tumult, scattered the enemy as a tornado drives before it
the leaves of a forest. The king raised himself on his elbow and
watched the gigantic stranger lay about him with his stick, while the
five, with cries of terror, disappeared into the forest, for the two
that