Free Delphi Works of Ford Madox Ford (Illustrated) by Ford Madox Ford Page A

came from close behind them, and the deer started off again.
    ‘There it goes,’ said the Princess; and again she started off, and the Knight kept close beside her. They went faster than ever, and she could hardly breathe because of the wind, but the Knight kept steadily by her side, and would not be out-distanced. Just at this moment she happened to look upwards, and there was the Owl sailing quietly along just over her head, flapping his wings lazily as if there were no need for exertion, although they were going at such a rate that the Princess could hardly keep her eyes open — just as when you put your head out of the window of a railway train that is going pretty fast — a thing, by the bye, that it is to be hoped you never do, or you might get your nose chopped off against a post. When she looked down from the Owl, to her surprise the deer had vanished altogether, and although she rubbed her eyes she could not see it anywhere; and although they galloped still farther on, no deer made its appearance, and the forest had become dark and thick and she had never been there before. So she drew her horse in so suddenly that its hoofs threw up the copper-coloured beech-leaves in showers, and the Knight shot some distance in advance. However, he turned and came back. So the Princess said: ‘What are we to do now?’
    ‘Go back, I suppose,’ he answered. ‘But I don’t know the way,’ she said, ‘and we are near the country of the Magi, and they’re the most frightful creatures, who would tear us up and eat us if they knew where to find us.’
    The Knight smiled:
    ‘I could save you from them,’ he said.
    But the Princess said reflectively:
    ‘I don’t know so much about that, for you see they’re very strong — and how dark it’s getting; it must be past five, and it will soon be night.’
    I daresay if she. had been alone she would have had a good cry, but that wouldn’t do before strangers.
    It was still getting darker and she began to feel very uncomfortable, for the howl of a wolf came down on the breeze, and a squirrel that had been searching for nuts darted home to its hole, scuttling along as fast as it could. So she said:
    ‘Come, let us be quick and get away.’
    ‘Promise to marry me first.’
    But she only said:
    ‘Oh, I’ll see about that when we’re safe — so do come.’
    What the Knight would have answered was never known, for just then the Owl, who was seated on her shoulder, gave a mournful ‘Tu-whoo,’ at which the horse of the Knight jumped back nearly ten feet and almost threw him with the unexpected shock. But before she could do anything a hunter burst from the bushes near at hand and said:
    ‘Hurry, Princess, hurry; the Magi have heard of your whereabouts, and they are coming at full speed here. Come, be quick.’
    But the Princess said:
    ‘But what will you do, old man? for you have no horse.’
    But he smiled contemptuously.
    ‘Horse! I don’t want a horse — why, I can run as well as any deer. Come, come.’
    And he caught the bridle of her horse and away they went, and for the moment she forgot all about the Knight, for from behind came the sound of crashing branches, and she knew that the Magi were following them. But the old hunter ran in front of the horse, tugging at the bridle-rein, and shouting to her to go faster, so she leant forward and whispered in her horse’s ear, and it stretched forward with such speed that it outsped the wind. Gradually the sounds behind began to get less and less, and the wood began to get lighter, and at last they jumped a little brook, and were at the end of the forest in a smooth meadow. Here the old man stopped.
    ‘You are safe now,’ he said. And she drew a sigh of relief.
    ‘At last!’ she said; ‘but how can I reward you, my preserver? Would you like a lock of my hair, or a purse full of gold, or a — ? well that wouldn’t do — you see I can’t well offer to marry you, though that’s what princesses generally do to