At last Gerard said, thoughtfully, "That she-bear saved both our lives—by God's will."
"Like enough," replied Denys; "and talking of that, it was lucky we did not dawdle over our supper."
"What mean you?"
"I mean they are not all hanged; I saw a refuse of seven or eight as black as ink around our fire."
"When? when?"
"Ere we had left it five minutes."
"Good heavens! And you said not a word."
"It would but have worried you, and had set our friend a looking back, and mayhap tempted him to get his skull split. All other danger was over; they could not see us, we were out of the moonshine and indeed, just turning a corner; ah! there is the sun; and here are the gates of Dusseldorf. Courage, l'ami; le diable est mort."
"My head! my head!" was all poor Gerard could reply.
So many shocks, emotions, perils, horrors, added to the wound, his first, had tried his youthful body and sensitive nature, too severely.