ad," Malchus said--"devoured by wolves."

A cry of horror broke from the three young guardsmen.

"`Tis too true," Malchus went on; "but give me food and wine. I have
neither eaten nor drunk for the last two days, and I have gone through a
terrible time. Even now I seem to see all round me countless cruel eyes,
and hungry open mouths with their red tongues."

Seeing that Malchus was utterly worn and exhausted his companions
hastened to place food and drink before him before asking any further
questions.

Malchus drank a cup of wine and took a mouthful of bread; but he was too
faint and exhausted at present to eat more. He had supported well
the terrible strain for the last forty-eight hours, and as he had run
through the forest he had not noticed how it had told upon him; but now
that he was safe among his friends he felt as weak as a child. For
a time he lay upon the lion skin on which he had thrown himself upon
entering the tent, unable to reply to his comrades' questions. Then, as
the cordial began to take effect, he roused himself and forced himself
to eat more. After that he told his friends what had happened.

"You have indeed had an escape, Malchus; but how was it you did not take
to the trees at once?"

"I did not think of it," Malchus said, "nor, I suppose, did the others.
Halcon was our leader, and we did as he told us. He thought the fires
would keep them off. Who could have thought the beasts would have
ventured to attack us!"

"I have always heard they were terrible," one of the others said; "but I
should have thought that three armed men would have been a match for any
number of them."

"It would have been as much as thirty could have done to withstand
them," Malchus replied; "they did not seem to care for their lives, but
sought only to slay. There were hundreds and hundreds of them. I would
rather march alone to the assault of a walled city than face those
terrible beasts."

In the morning the whole party started for the scene of the encounter.

Malchus had some difficulty in discovering it; but at last, after
searching a long time he came upon it.

The ground beneath the tree was everywhere trampled and torn by the
wolves in their struggles, and was spotted with patches of dry blood.
The helmets, shields and arms of Halcon and Chalcus lay there, but not
a remnant of their bones remained, and a few fragments of skin and some
closely gnawed skulls alone testified to the wolves which had fallen