"You understand, sire, I am no hunter, and have nothing to do, so I must amuse myself, while you are thinking of all the wolves that a dozen men are going to kill."
"Ah, yes, laugh away, Chicot; first it was the clothes, now the number of wolves."
"Oh, sire!"
"But I must say you are not indulgent, for Béarn is not as large as France; so the king goes there with two hundred huntsmen, I with a dozen, as you see."
"Yes, sire."
"But," said Henri, "sometimes the country gentlemen, hearing I am going, quit their chateaux and join me, which sometimes makes up a good escort for me."
When they had ridden about half an hour—
"Look," said Henri to Chicot, "are not those cavaliers that I see there?"
Chicot looked and said, "Yes, sire, cavaliers, but not huntsmen."
"Why not?"