left his high station in the centre of the sky, and was fast journeying to the west. Just then, with mouth black and dry, tongue hanging out, and sides panting with such force that they seemed to "stretch his leathern coat almost to bursting," his light elastic vigour changed to a heavy weary gallop, his eye glaring almost savagely, came the jaded hart, down that beautiful green glade, along which the daughter of Hereward drove her cattle at the opening of our story. Behind him, and even then, at a considerable distance, followed a few of the strongest and most resolute hounds, the remainder having long since flagged in the chase, while, of the noble and well mounted horsemen, so many of whom had set out in the early part of the day, scarce a score remained, and of these, King John, and Sir Geoffrey De Marchmont, still took the lead. Slowly and wearily approached that splendid train, which, but a few hours before, had appeared so gay and buoyant; but then, scarce a voice was raised and if a note was sounded on the horn, it seemed as if the hunter parted reluctantly with the breath that filled his instrument; even the feeble baying of the remain ing hounds, was husky and harsh, and they lolled out their huge tongues, as if they had been breathing in the atmosphere of a blazing furnace. Twice had the noble horse on which the king was mounted, stumbled through very fatigue, since it had entered the smooth and open glade; and even the one on which De Marchmont was seated, staggered to and fro like a drunkard. The distance seemed impassable between the hart and stag-hounds, as if neither of them had power to lessen the space, although each went along at the full extent of its strength, with laboured speed. They seemed like those fabled hunters of the north, who chase the hinds over enchanted lands with furious hounds, but are never permitted to draw nearer, than the distance, from whence they first started. Even the horsemen seemed to gain no ground upon the chase, and, from the higher end of the glade, it might be said to resemble a moving picture. At length the royal hart cleared the glade, and struck off in the direction of a more open country, although still intermixed with vast tracts of sylvan scenery, but containing also patches of pasture-land, and wild extents of heath and bog, which reached to the reedy borders of the river Trent. The eye of King John, swept the weary range outstretched before him; and, perhaps, feeling some slight commiseration for the noble hounds, and the stately hart which had so long and gallantly headed the chase, and doubtless having sundry cravings in his own royal stomach, he applied a splendid bugle to his lips, and sounded a re-chase. The foremost hound crouched as suddenly to the earth as if he had been struck by an arrow, when he heard the signal which called from the chase; and the remainder obeyed their leader as speedily as if their limbs had been under the control of wires. Neither did the horses need much checking, and one or two fell on the greensward where they had halted, having been compelled to keep up a speed beyond their strength, like those, who in moments of mental derangement, perform feats, under which they sink overpowered, when the fit is past. "By the holy sepulchre! De Marchmont," said King John, stooping from his saddle, and applying the skirts of his rich mantle to wipe the perspiration from his brow, while his inflamed countenance bore no bad resemblance to a red and fiery sunset,-" By the holy sepulchre! St. Christopher himself, never ran such a chase as this; and I will have this royal hart proclaimed, for the pleasure he hath this day given us. Marry, I have got a Saxon's appetite, and could feed on swine-flesh and colewort, so long hath this Hart-of-ten kept me fasting." "I marvel not, my liege,” replied the baron; "for my part, I have half a mind to turn swine, and feed on those crabs that hang so temptingly before us. By my troth, your majesty never can honour a more gallant hart than we have this day pursued, with horn and hound, and keen appetite; and, if such is your pleasure, it shall be proclaimed on the morrow." "Such is my pleasure," said the king; "and let it be done speedily, at every market-cross and village within twenty miles of the forest, and on pain of death, if any one shall be found to molest or hinder its return to Sherwood. But where, in the name of Beelzebub, is the Constable of Chester? He was wont to be foremost in the chase, and I see him not amid our followers?" "I missed the worthy knight, my liege," answered De Marchmont, "when we crossed the stream in the early part of the day; up to then, he was one of our train." ""Tis strange!" mused the king; "and De Lacy, I warrant, is attending his sweet kinswoman. Surely the fiery knights have not met in the forest, and cut each other's throats in deciding the quarrel which, I know not how, sprang up yesternight between them.” "No fear of that, my liege," answered the baron. "John of Chester has no appetite to cope with such an arm as De Lacy's, in a hunting-dress; he will trust himself more surely when sheathed in mail.” "Thou speakest soothly in this matter," said the king. "Powerful although the constable is, and, excepting the earl and thyself, the best lance in our realm; yet, methinksBut what, in the name of the foul fiend, have we here?" said he, raising his eyes in astonish"By the black gulf! 'tis De Lacy him ment. self, and without the swan-necked lady." It was none other than the noble earl bareheaded; his naked sword in his hand, his rich mantle, torn and soiled by the thorns and briers of the thicket, his countenance red with heat, |