HE IS WOUNDED. 185 



the public ways strictly guarded, the difficulties of getting 

 him conveyed to his new retreat were very great. Sven, 

 however, undertook the task in person ; and concealing him 

 in a load of straw, and taking by-paths through the forest, 

 they set off on the journey, which was alike perilous to both ; 

 for had the fugitive been discovered, Sven himself, there is 

 little doubt, would have been put to death on the spot. 



They had not proceeded very far, when they were sur- 

 rounded by a party of military, one of whom, suspecting 

 that all was not right, forthwith thrust his spear several 

 times into the straw, though happily without doing Gustavus 

 farther injury than inflicting a flesh wound on his thigh. 

 As, however, the knight, notwithstanding his hurt, had the 

 presence of mind to remain motionless, and as his conductor 

 looked on apparently quite unconcerned, the misgivings of 

 the soldiers were quieted, and the man was allowed to 

 proceed on his way. 



But almost immediately afterwards Sven observed that a 

 good deal of blood ran from the sledge, which, in the event 

 of another visitation, might give rise to suspicion; with 

 great presence of mind therefore, he drew his knife, and 

 deeply gashed the Kraka, or frog, of the horse's foot, so 

 that blood flowed freely, and sufficiently accounted for that 

 already on the snow. Happily, however, they met with no 

 further mishap on the way, and reached Mamas in safety. 



Sven now took an affectionate leave of Gustavus, and 

 returned to his home. It is gratifying to record that this 

 brave and faithful fellow, who had risked all in the knight's 

 service, was not forgotten by him when he came to the 

 throne ; a valuable little property having been presented to 

 him by the King, as a reward for his services. 



