FLIGHT FROM THE PRINCE'S CASTLE 321 



which landed him on to his legs like a mechanical toy. 

 After this it was nothing to reward so well-graced a 

 player with half a leg of a pheasant. The gift over- 

 whelmed him with its magnificence, and we left him 

 facing the mountain of flesh before him with dismay 

 in his horny eyes. 



Onwards again, after a breakfast of more soup and 

 more pheasant, across a tree-surrounded open space, 

 where the bears had been gorging on chestnuts. We 

 knew it was Bruin's banqueting-hall, because when 

 he feeds on nuts he throws aside the husks daintily. 

 The wild boar, dining, swallows husks and nuts 

 together. 



The forest hemmed us in on all sides still, and as I 

 led the way down a slippery moss-grown aisle, I was 

 nearly thrown by my horse unexpectedly shying 

 wildly at a tall figure leaning, like a shade of Jaques, 

 against a tree. 

 The Prince ! 



I took the meeting with assumed calmness, acting 

 as though we quite expected to see him, and how 

 pleasant it was and weren't we lucky. Only Cecily 

 would not speak. Her face was angrier than I've 

 ever seen it. As for Ali, he was frankly terrified, and 

 sidled his pony alongside Cecily's as he began a 

 tragical tirade in her ear. 



And now the best attributes of our savage prince 

 appeared, and he seemed a prince indeed. That he had 

 been so wanting in hospitality as to drive us forth 

 into the unknown without an escort was his shame as 

 a host, but sending his ladye into the damp and dew 



