"Bravo! your majesty has a rare wit," exclaimed Careless.
Charmed with the notion, he set to work at once to carry it out, and gathering a few acorns, marked them with the point of his dagger. The horn cups were next produced, and carefully wiped with a napkin, which was then folded and laid on a branch of the tree to serve for a board.
"At what game will your majesty be pleased to play?" cried Careless, rattling the extempore dice in the cornet.
"Hazard would be most appropriate," replied Charles. "But we have had enough of that of late. I prefer 'passage,'" he added, taking three of the dice. "Plague on't, I have nothing to stake—not a crown."
"Your majesty has already staked a crown——"
"Ay, and lost it," interrupted the king.
"Only temporarily, sire. You will soon have it back again. I have a few pistoles left," he added, producing his purse. "Shall we divide them?"
"Be it so," replied Charles.
Putting down a couple of the pistoles he had received from Careless, he then threw, calling out "Quatre," as he made the cast, and he continued throwing until stopped by Careless, who exclaimed:
"Doublets above ten. Your majesty passes and wins."