The men-at-arms paused to throw aside their defensive armour, breast, back, and leg pieces, and the knights relieved themselves of some of their iron gear; but the delay, short as it was, caused by the unbuckling of straps and unlacing of helms, increased the distance which already existed between them and the hound, whose deep notes, occasionally raised, grew fainter and fainter.  In a few minutes it ceased altogether, and Archie judged that the hound had overtaken his master, who, on seeing the animal approaching alone, would naturally have checked his flight.  Archie himself was now far away from the men-at-arms, and after proceeding until beyond all reach of pursuit, slackened his pace, and breaking into a walk continued his course some miles across the hills until he reached a lonely cottage where he was kindly received, and remained until next day.

The following morning he set out and journeyed to the spot, where, on leaving his retainers more than a week before, he had ordered them to await his coming.  It was another week before he obtained such news as enabled him again to join the king, who was staying at a woodcutter’s hut in Selkirk Forest.  Hector came out with a deep bark of welcome.

“Well, Sir Archie,” the king said, following his dog to the door, “and how has it fared with you since we last parted a fortnight since?  I have been hotly chased, and thought I should have been taken; but, thanks to the carelessness of the fellow who led my hound, Hector somehow slipped his collar and joined me, and I was able to shake off my pursuers, so that danger is over, and without sacrificing the life of my good dog.”

Archie smiled.  “Perchance, sir, it was not from any clumsiness that the hound got free, but that he was loosed by some friendly hand.”

“It may be so,” the king replied; “but they would scarcely have intrusted him to a hand friendly to me.  Nor would his leader, even if so disposed, have ventured to slip the hound, seeing that the horsemen must have been close by at the time, and that such a deed would cost him his life.  It was only because Hector got away, when the horsemen were unable to follow him, that he escaped, seeing that, good dog as he is, speed is not his strong point, and that horsemen could easily gallop alongside of him even were he free.  What are you smiling at, Sir Archie?  The hound and you seem on wondrous friendly terms;” for Hector was now standing up with his great paws on Archie’s shoulder.

“So we should be, sire, seeing that for eight days we have shared bed and board.”

“Ah! is it so?” Bruce exclaimed.  “Was it you, then, that loosed the hound?”

“It was, sir,” Archie replied; “and this is the history of it; and you will see that if I have done you and Hector a service in bringing you together again the hound has repaid it by saving my life.”

Entering the hut, Archie sat down and related all that had happened, to the king.