ress in
eight days!'

'We shall see,' answered the king, kneeling upon the inner scarp;
leaning his head upon the parapet with his face turned towards the
enemy, he looked long and anxiously towards the sappers, who were
quietly and assiduously pursuing their labors.

At this moment a confused noise was heard from the camp. 'Go and see
what is the matter, Gyllenstierna,' commanded the king: 'and bring me a
report.'

'Do you command it, your majesty?' replied Arwed, with a heavy heart;
for at such a moment he dared not leave the king alone with the two
Frenchmen.

'Hasten, captain,' whispered Siquier to him. 'The king loves not
loiterers, and to-day, especially, he is not in the best humor.'

Arwed obeyed with a sigh. As he came out of the trenches all had become
still again, and from count Posse, whom he met, he learned that two
unruly horses had been the whole cause of the alarm. While they were
yet speaking of it Swedenborg came hastily up to them. With an ice-cold
hand he seized Arwed's and drew him hastily aside.

'Where have you left the king?' asked he, with much earnestness.

'At the extremity of the trench,' answered Arwed. 'Megret and Siquier
are with him.'

'Oh, why have you absented yourself from your lord?' cried Swedenborg,
wringing his hands. 'I begged of you so earnestly!'

'By his command;'--answered Arwed, now much alarmed.

'For God's sake return immediately to him,' supplicated Swedenborg,
dragging him forward. 'God grant that we come not too late!'

They both proceeded rapidly along the trench. In the narrow passage,
they were met by Siquier.

'Where is the king?' quickly asked Arwed of him.

'That is what I wished to ask of you!' returned Siquier, with an
insolent yet trembling voice. 'I left him soon after you did, and in
the darkness cannot find him again.'

'That is strange!' said Arwed. 'You had better go with me, and let us
seek our lord where I left him in your company.'

Siquier reluctantly obeyed. They came finally to the old place, which
was well known to Arwed. Already at some, distance he saw the king
still in the same position, leaning upon the parapet. At the same time
Megret, joining them, suddenly approached the king and bent over him.

'He is dead!' said he after a while, very quietly.

'The king dead!' shrieked Arwed, with wild amazement, and running to
the nearest guard post, he immediately returned with a blazing torch.
The light disclosed a horrid scene. Cov