two of the captors had gone down ducted down the stairs to his study with a crash, and Caerleon was on by his captors, wondering vaguely his feet and hitting out furiously, whether a scaffold and a block while Wright made herculean but would meet his eyes on entering. unavailing efforts to join him. But Nothing of the kind was visible, the struggle was hopeless from the however, although the room was first, for Caerleon could not even crowded with people — officers of get his back against the wall, and the palace and city guards mostly, he was dragged down by sheer with a sprinkling of civilians, weight of numbers, and bound principally officials connected with firmly with the tasselled cord torn the Ministry of War, and a numfrom a curtain.

ber of men of foreign appearance, “I don't think you will get that who were evidently exiles returned undone,” said Louis, bending over from Scythia. On the writing-table him and testing the knots; then, lay a document, which General with the theatrical tendency which Sertchaieff presented to Caerleon besets a certain class of Irishmen as a formal deed of abdication, and in moments of excitement, he kicked demanded his signature. him heavily, adding, “That is for “I thought you had done with my sister.”

that,” said Caerleon. "I have told “Nasty coward!”growled Wright. you already that I won't sign it.” “ 'It a man when ’e's down that you “Milord," said the War Minister, don't dare touch when 'e's up, and impressively, “we are anxious not bring in a young lady's name about to shed blood, but we are not to be it, you precious blackguard, do !" trifled with ; and if you refuse to

“Lieutenant O'Malachy,” inter- sign, Lieutenant O'Malachy has his rupted General Sertchaieff, as Louis orders." advanced threateningly towards his “Sign under compulsion," whisunconquerable assailant, “if you pered Cyril. “I can witness that will be so good as to take three you were forced to it by threats, men and secure the person of the and it can't stand.” Prince of Schwarzwald-Molzau, I "Shut up, Cyril!” said Caerleon, will wait here with the prisoners gruffly. “Have you unlimited time for your return."

to waste, General ?” Louis departed instantly, to re- “At least consider

your

brother turn before long with a laugh. and your servant, who must suffer

“No fighting there. He accepts for your obstinacy, instead of rethe situation with great philosophy," turning in safety to England,” said he said, and Caerleon felt oddly General Sertchaieff. disappointed. For some reason he “If 'is Majesty will say anyhad thought that he might reckon thing to get me my 'ands free for a on Prince Otto Georg for support moment, fust thing I do, I'll give at this crisis.

you one in the eye,” said Wright, “ Your presence is now required ferociously. down-stairs, milord,” said General “We are to understand, then, Sertchaieff. “If you will give milord, that you refuse finally to yourself the trouble of walking, sign the deed ?” asked the General. it will be as well; otherwise we “I do refuse,” said Caerleon ; must take you."

" and if there is one man here, of Choosing the less of the two all those who have taken oaths to evils, Caerleon allowed himself to me and have eaten my bread, who be dragged to his feet and con- has one spark of honesty left in

him, I hope he will let it be known followed his guards. They passed that I preferred death."

through the courtyard, where the “May I ask whether you are first snow lay on the ground, then referring to me?” demanded Louis out through the gardens. A few O'Malachy. “I have not offered steps farther brought them to the to carry your messages.”

batteries on the river-face of the “No, I don't think you ever town, and they were ordered to had a spark of honesty," returned enter the lift by which shells and Caerleon. “And as for your sister, ammunition were raised from the to send a message to her by you shore. The descent accomplished, would be to insult her."

they came out on the river-bank, "Lieutenant O'Malachy, you will where a boat was lying, manned by conduct the prisoners outside, and two sailors whom Louis addressed follow the directions you have re- in Scythian. The prisoners were ceived,” said General Sertchaieff. thrust in without ceremony, the

Caerleon drew a long breath. soldiers took their places, and the To be led out, and shot like a dog! boat was pushed off from the But his pride came to his aid. shore. Show a sign of flinching before Caerleon,” said Cyril, in a low these Scythian spies and Thracian voice, “I'm sorry I've brought you traitors ? Never! and he squared to this, old man. If I had had his shoulders and held his head the sense to see through that blackerect as he was led out of the guard O'Malachy, it wouldn't have

On the threshold a thought happened.” struck him, and he paused to say- “Oh, don't go blaming yourself,”

“I do not know whether this said Caerleon, hastily. “It's just rebellion is to be conducted accord- as much my fault. Wright, I wish ing to the usages of civilised na- you were not obliged to lie just on tions, but in any case I entreat my chest. No, don't wriggle, that's you, for the honour of Thracia,

worse." to allow Prince Otto Georg of •Silence, dogs !” said one of the Schwarzwald-Molzau to return un- soldiers, angrily, and the boatmen harmed to his own country. He rowed steadily on until they reached came here merely as my guest, the Scythian steamer which bad and has taken no part in Thracian attracted Cyril's notice that afterpolitics."

noon. The prisoners were dragged "Make your mind easy, milord,” up the ladder, and placed in a row said a tall man, with a strong like- on the deck. ness to General Sertchaieff, who " You have one more chance,” stood among the returned exiles. said Louis O'Malachy to Caerleon. “As the representative of my graci. “Will you sign?" ous sovereign, I can assure you Ι

that "No," returned Caerleon, dogthe King of Thracia does not make gedly. war on non-combatants."

“Then I must obey my orders. Caerleon bowed his head and Your fate is on your own head.”

room.

THE GAME AND GAME LAWS OF NORWAY.

ORIGINALLY exploited by British able adornments, will appear in anglers on account of the excel- the extra special editions of the lence of its salmon-rivers, Norway London evening papers; while is now annually resorted to by the doings of the Hon. Jack Postmany sportsmen from this country obit (who invariably catches the who affect the rifle and the shots first boat to Norway after a bad gun rather than the rod; and there Derby) on his famous salmon-river is not a club smoking-room in Pall will doubtless receive similar atMall or St James Street where tention. the elk-hunter, the reindeer-stalker, It is evident that the game laws and the ryper-shooter do not occa- of a country of so much present sionally exchange ideas with refer- interest to English sportsmen, and ence to their respective pursuits. upon which in the near future so As yet the daily achievements of fierce a light will in all probability these gentlemen when domiciled beat, are worthy of scrutiny; to in their Scandinavian abodes — them, therefore, and their influence wbether farmhouse, sæter, hut, or as exhibited by the status of the fjeld-stue-are not chronicled in

more important of the creatures to the weekly press with that dili- which they apply, we propose degence (accuracy is hardly the word) voting the following paragraphs. which applies to similar doings A warm - hearted and kindly within the precincts of the British race, possessing, moreover,

in comIsles; but such is the energy of mon with certain other northern the modern editor, and so unap- peoples, a keen eye to the main peasable the public appetite for chance, the Norwegians treat their up-to-date intelligence upon every wild animals and birds in a manner subject under the sun, that the which cannot certainly be described time, we fear, is not far distant as either wise or humane; and in when the tapes” will announce this connection it may be well to for the benefit of the unhappy ones refer in the first instance to the at home the discomfiture of each elk, the grandest and most imNorwegian mountain forest portant inhabitant of the Scandimonarch within a few hours of the navian woodlands. Comparatively discharge of the shot that laid him few people in this country have low. As soon as the day's bag of any idea of the number of these willow-grouse has been counted on fine animals annually killed; for each birch-clad island of far Lofo- the five years 1889-93 the average, den, the local correspondent will according to the official returns, set the wires agoing, and a full was 1122, and in 1894 no fewer account of the day's proceedings than 1252, distributed as follows, in Norsk-English, and with suit- were shot:Province,

Bulls.

Total,
Smaalenene

8

11 Akershus.

67

127 Hedemarken

74

146 Kristians

90

177 Buskerud

69

142

or

Cows.

3 60 72 87 73

race.

Together

646

606 1252 On many different occasions “The story again and again, and continuing Norsk Jaeger og Fisker Forening," to point out the various injustices of the most influential association of

our laws, which sooner or later must sportsmen in Norway, has, through bring about the destruction of the

But the authorities seem quite the medium of its interesting quar- incapable of appreciating the fact that terly magazine, declaimed against our stock of elk is now so reduced as this slaughter, pointing out that immediately to require energetic meaunless an end be put to it, and sures if the remainder are to be saved. that quickly, by drastic legislation

Such is now the state of matters that efficiently enforced, the elk must

in several provinces the choice lies inevitably, and within a very ap

between absolute protection (that is,

perpetual close time all the year preciable length of time, become round) or complete extinction of the extinct.

elk. Several months will probably “In any case, something must be elapse before the returns for last sacrificed. If it is to be the elk, then year are published; but it is cer- of course there is nothing to be done tain that in many parts of the

but put our hands behind our backs country there was in 1895 a very destruction ; if, on the other hand,

and continue to prophesy death and marked falling off in the number the elk is to be preserved as game, of elk, and complaints of indifferent we must relinquish some of our sport, both from native and for- former methods of hunting it, and eign hunters, were numerous.

In this we consider is absolutely essenorder, however, to convey an idea

tial. In regard to the statistical re

turus of elk killed in 1894, we made of the position generally, we can

certain remarks to which we now vennot do better than give a free

ture to refer. We then stated that translation of some of the remarks these animals were greatly on the contained in a paper by a well- decrease in the Smaalenene, Akersknown Norwegian sportsman which hus, and Kristians Amts; that things appeared in the number of the were somewhat better in Hedemarmagazine above referred to, pub- ken, Buskerud, and Jarlsberg; while lished in January last :

Bratsberg was perhaps the most favoured province.

“We further expressed the hope For years,” proceeds the writer of that the number of elk in the North this article, “ we have strongly pro- Trondhjem Amt had not fallen off tested against the mischievous de- to any considerable extent, although struction to which this [the elk], our there they have one enemy moregrandest wild animal, has so long namely, the wolf—which can at times been subjected, repeating the same be troublesome enough. The results

were

numerous.

were

of the season just concluded cor- side the close-time. In Hadeland and roborate the above remarks; but the Land on both sides of the Randsjord, prospects of our stock of elk are not elk now seem to have entirely disaprendered any brighter, and the hope peared : a well-known native sportsthat we entertained for the Trondhjem man, who has been in the habit of Amts has not been realised. There hunting in this district regularly also the elk have diminished in num- every season, did not fall in with a bers nearly everywhere, while the single animal last year in fourteen paucity of bulls is very marked. days, during which he covered an

“From Indherreds Fogderi com- immense extent of country in Ost and plaints are rife. 'Is the elk to be ex- Vestaasen, districts where formerly terminated ?' asks a Stenkjer paper,

elk

Hallingdal when giving the number killed in showed but little improvement; but the Fogderi last autumn -- 43 bulls farther south in the province things and 49 cows, no fewer than 34 of somewhat better, although which were shot in the district of neither there-as in the Jarlsberg Suaasen. The sport in Sparbu was and Bratsberg Amts—were there so not much to boast of last year; and many elk as formerly. In Bamble in Aafjord the skeletons of no less and Drangedal, for instance, where than 10 elk which had been killed by these animals were plentiful

the wolves were found. In the Southern previous year, the decrease last season Province (the South Trondhjem Amt) was perceptible.” things were somewhat better, but there also fewer deer were killed The value for sporting purposes than usual; in Fosen Fogderi, for which the elk confers upon the instance, only 17 (12 being cows) were shot, as against 48 the preced tracts of country which it frequents ing year.

In the southern portions is considerable. It seems singular, of the country, however, the paucity therefore, in view of repeated of elk has been still more marked. warnings emanating from such a In Hedemarken's Amt there are a

the above, that the few places where there would appear authorities have not, for merely to be a fair number, among which we

economical reasons, initiated fresh have heard Romsdal mentioned ; and even in Akershus and Smaalenene

legislation for the protection of the such exceptions are still found, as,

elk. for instance, Hurdal and some of As in the medical profession, the extensive forests in Enebak and opinions differ with regard to the Raelingen, to which elk have come nature of the remedies which ought in from the surrounding country. to be applied ; but the following, From elsewhere in the neighbourhood the reports are fairly unani

we venture to think, would meet mous that there are again few elk, with general approval, and are only some homeless animals that wan- likely to be included in any meader restlessly from place to place; sures of reform :and such is now the state of matters 1. The season during which elk in both upper and lower Romerike, may be lawfully killed in any part as, for instance, in Naes, Sörum, Fet, Urskoug, and Höland. In Ullen

of the country should occur be

tween two fixed dates, not more saker, where ten deer or thereabout are usually killed annually, only two

than one month apart. At present were shot last autumn; and in the

there are considerable discrepangreat forests to the

west, Gjerdrum, cies in this respect in the different Nordmarken, and Hadelands-almen- amts. ningen, poaching still flourishes.

2. Any one found in the posses“ The skeletons of four elk which

sion of elk-meat during the close had been unlawfully killed were found in Nordmarken, but this is un

season, whether for purposes of doubtedly only a fraction of those that

sale or consumption, should be were killed in the same district out- made liable to the infliction, with

source

as