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 almot fevered the chine of the fierce animal, who was quickly dipatched by the pectators of the combat.

James mounted a freh hore, and ere long another boar was raied, who taking his coure to the north, eemed by his peed to et his puruers at defiance. Eagerly the monarch and his friend followed the flying animal, unheeding that their company decreaed, till they lot toward evening the boar, and found they were deerted even by the dometics, and that the dogs, wearied with the chace, had quitted them.

The country round was wild and deolate; no houe appeared where they could inquire their road, or be heltered from the night.

A reedy lake bounded their ight to the north; to the wet lay high hills, whoe tops were gilt by the declining un; eatward, the high, barren, and deolate heath, on which they were, tretching beyond their farthet view; whilt to the outh was een an antient wood, near which they had parted about the time the boar had diappeared. Concluding that ome of the attendants, uppoing they had entered the woods, were there earching for them, the king propoed to Edmund they hould return thither.

As the un declined, a mit aroe from the lake; but no ooner was it et than the heath was enveloped in a fog, which gave to thoe objects it did not entirely conceal, trange and fale appearances. It was nearly dark when they reached the wood.

“Surely,” aid Edmund, “no peron of your uite can be here; doubtles ere now, if they were, they would have followed and found you.”

As Edmund looked on the king, he aw his countenance pale, and exhibiting marks of unuual fear.

“Turn,” he cried, “my friend, your teps from this blated wood, which helters, I well know, no dometic of mine; for, if I mitake not, this mut be the place I have heard uch horrid tales concerning.”

“My life I hall ell dearly in your defence. Say, my liege, is this gloomy wood the retreat of robbers and murderers?” [sic] or what is it you fear?”