The Hot Swamp

search for her. Willyou send that message?"

  "It may be that I will. In any case I'll send something like it."

  So saying the chief turned abruptly on his heel and left the room.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

  A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.

  It may be imagined that the return home of Prince Bladud was the causeof much rejoicing in the whole district as well as in his father'shouse. At _first_ the king, being, as we have said, a very stern man,felt disposed to stand upon his dignity, and severely rebuke the son whohad run away from home and remained away so long. But an undercurrentof tenderness, and pride in the youth's grand appearance, and greatprowess, induced him to give in with a good grace and extend to himunreserved forgiveness.

  As for the queen, she made no attempt to conceal her joy and pride, andthe same may be said of the princess.

  There was instituted a series of fetes and games in honour of the returnof the prodigal, at which he was made--not unwillingly--to show theskill which he had acquired from practising with the competitors at theOlympic games, about which the islanders had heard from Phoeniciantraders from time to time, and great was the interest thus created,especially when he showed them, among other arts, how to use their fistsin boxing, and their swords in guarding so as to enable them to dispensewith a shield. But these festivities did not prevent him from taking aninterest in the search that his father and the hunters were still makingfor Branwen.

  When many days had passed, however, and no word of her whereabouts wasforthcoming, it was at last arranged that a message regarding herdisappearance should be sent to her father's tribe by a party ofwarriors who were to be led by the prince himself.

  "I will go gladly," he said to his sister, a day or two before the partywas to set out. "For your sake, Hafrydda, I will do my best to clear upthe mystery; and I think it highly probable that I shall find therunaway safely lodged in her father's house."

  "I fear not," returned Hafrydda, with a sad look. "It seems impossiblethat she could have made her way so far alone through the wild forests."

  "But she may not have been alone. Friends may have helped her."

  "She had no friends in the town, having been here but a short time,"objected the princess. "But do your best to find her, Bladud, for Ifeel quite sure that you will fall in love with her when you see her."

  The youth laughed.

  "No fear of that," he said, "many a pretty girl have I seen in the East;nevertheless I have, as you see, left them all without a thought of everreturning again."

  "But I did not say you would fall in love with Branwen because she ispretty. I feel sure that you will, because she is sweet, and merry, andgood--yet thoughtful--wonderfully thoughtful!"

  "Ay, and you may add," said the queen, who came into the room just then,"that she is sometimes thoughtless and wonderfully full of mischief."

  "Nay, mother, you are not just," returned the princess. "Her mischiefis only on the surface, her thoughtfulness lies deep down."

  "Well, well, whatever may be the truth regarding her, I shall nottrouble my head about her; for I have never yet felt what men call love,and I feel sure I never shall."

  "I like to hear you say that, brother," rejoined Hafrydda; "for I havenoticed, young though I am, that when men say they will never fall inlove or marry, they are always pretty near the point of doing one orboth."

  But poor Bladud was destined to do neither at that time, for an eventwas hanging over him, though he knew it not, which was to affect veryseriously the whole of his after life.

  For several days previous to the above conversation, he had felt asensation that was almost new to him--namely, that of being slightlyill. Whether it was the unwonted exertions consequent on his efforts atthe games, or the excitement of the return home, we cannot say, butheadache, accompanied by a slight degree of fever, had troubled him.Like most strong men in the circumstances, he adopted the Samsonian anduseless method of "shaking it off"! He went down into the arena andperformed feats of strength and agility that surprised even himself; butthe fever which enabled him to do so, asserted itself at last, andfinally compelled him to do what he should have done at first--pockethis pride and give in.

  Of course we do not suggest that giving in to little sensations ofailment is either wise or manly. There are duties which call on men tofight even in sickness--ay, in spite of sickness--but "showing off" inthe arena was not one of these.

  Be this as it may, Bladud came at last to the condition of feelingweak--an incomprehensible state of feeling to him. He thereupon wentstraight home, and, flinging himself half petulantly on a couch,exclaimed--"Mother, I am ill!"

  "My son, I have seen that for many days past, and have waited with someanxiety till you should come to the point of admitting it."

  "And now that I have admitted it," returned the youth with a languidsmile, "what is to be done?"

  The answer to that question was not the simple one of modern days, "Sendfor the doctor," because no doctors worthy of the name existed. Therewas, indeed, a solemn-visaged, long-headed, elderly man among KingHudibras' followers who was known as the medicine-man to the royalhousehold, but his services were not often in request, because peoplewere seldom ill, save when they were going to die, and when that timecame it was generally thought best to let them die in peace. Thismedicine-man, though a quack in regard to physic, was, however, a trueman, as far as his knowledge went in surgery--that is to say, he wasexpert at the setting of broken bones, when the fractures were not toocompound; he could bandage ordinary wounds; he had even ventured intothe realm of experimental surgery so far as to knock out a decayed backtooth with a bronze chisel and a big stone. But his knowledge of drugswas naturally slight, and his power of diagnosis feeble. Still,unworthy though he may be of the title, we will for convenience stylehim the doctor.

  "My poor boy," said the queen, in answer to his question, and laying herhand on his hot brow, "I am so sorry that we cannot have the services ofour doctor, for he is away hunting just now--you know he is very fond ofthe bow and line. Perhaps he may--"

  "Oh, never mind the doctor, mother," said Bladud impatiently, with thatslighting reference to the faculty which is but too characteristic ofyouth; "what do _you_ think ought to be done? You were always doctorenough for me when I was little; you'll do equally well now that I ambig."

  "Be not hasty, my son. You were always hot-headed and--"

  "I'm hot-headed _now_, at all events, and argument won't tend to coolit. Do what you will with it, for I can stand this no longer. Cut itoff if you like, mother, only use a sharp knife and be quick about it."

  In those days, far more than in this our homeopathic era, it was thehabit of the mothers of families to keep in store certain herbs androots, etcetera, which, doubtless, contained the essences now held inmodern globules. With these they contrived decoctions that wereunquestionably more or less beneficial to patients when wisely applied.To the compounding of something of this sort the queen now addressedherself. After swallowing it, the prince fell asleep.

  This was so far well; but in the morning he was still so far from well,that the visit to Branwen's father had to be postponed. Several dayselapsed before the doctor returned from his hunting expedition. By thattime the fever had left the prince. He began to get somewhat better,and to go about, but still felt very unlike his old self. During thiswhat we may style semi-convalescent period, Captain Arkal and littleMaikar proved of great use and comfort to him, for they not only broughthim information about the games--which were still kept up--but cheeredhim with gossipy news of the town in general, and with interestingreminiscences of their late voyage and the Eastern lands they had sorecently left.

  One day these faithful friends, as well as the queen and princess, weresitting by Bladud's couch--to which unaccountable fits of lazinessconfined him a good deal--when the medicine-man was announced.

  He proceeded at once to examine the patient, while the others stoodaside and looked on with that profound respect which igno
rancesometimes, though not always, assumes in the presence of knowledge.

  The doctor laid his hand on Bladud's brow, and looked earnestly into hiseyes. Then he tapped his back and chest, as if to induce some one inhis interior to open a door and let him in--very much as doctors donow-a-days. Then he made him remove his upper garments, and examinedhis broad and brawny shoulders. A mark, or spot, of a whitishappearance between the left shoulder and the elbow, at once riveted hisattention, and caused an almost startled expression on his gravecountenance. But the expression was momentary. It passed away and leftthe visage grave and thoughtful--if possible, more thoughtful thanbefore.

  "That will do," he said, turning to the queen. "Your treatment was thebest that could have