186 A JACOBITE EXILE

grieved by the thought that he had probably lost his life in
his defence.

Three days passed. His head was now clear and his
appetite returning, and he found, by quietly moving at
night when his guard was asleep, that he was gaining
strength. ‘The third day there was some talking among
several men who entered the room, then he was lifted, wrapt
up in some cloths, and put into a large box. He felt this
being hoisted up, it was carried downstairs, and then placed
on something. A minute afterwards he felt a vibration,
followed by a swaying and bumping, and guessed at once
that he was on a cart, and was being removed either to
prison or to some other place of confinement; the latter he
considered more probable. The journey was a long one;
he had no means of judging time, but he thought that it
must have lasted two or three hours. ‘Then the rumbling
ceased, the box was lifted down, and carried a short dis-
tance, then the lid was opened and he was again laid down
on some straw. He heard the sound of cart wheels, and
knew that the vehicle on which he had been brought was
being driven away. He was now so hungry that he felt he
could no longer maintain the appearance of insensibility.
Two men were talking in the room, and when for a moment
their conversation ceased, he gave a low groan and then
opened his eyes. They came at once to his bedside with
exclamations of satisfaction.

“How do you feel?” one asked in Swedish.

“JT do not know,” he said ina lowtone. “Where am I,
how did I get here?”

“You are with friends; never mind how you got here.
You have been ill, but you will soon get well again. Some
one hit you on the head, and we picked you up and brought
you here.”

“T am weak and faint,” Charlie murmured; “have you
any food?”