“Well, he was in a bad way, you see.  I just happened to get him out from under the branches of a fallen tree that had him pinned tight to the ground.  His arm was bruised, and we bunked together until morning.  Andy’s got a repentant mood on him.  He vows he’s done playing nasty tricks on our club.  ’Course I don’t know how it will pan out, boys.”

“Say, did he tell you anything about my gun?” asked Bluff, eagerly.

Jerry turned and looked at the questioner.

“No, he didn’t.  Suppose he confessed to everything he ever did?  But here we are, fellows, and our guest looks as if he didn’t know whether to run for it or hang by that breakfast Toby is cooking.”

Frank advanced toward the man, bowing, and assuming, as he believed, something of a military air.

“Welcome to our camp, Prince Bismarck.  Won’t you be seated, and wait for breakfast to be served?  We have only rude accommodations here, but I hope you will pardon any lack of seeming hospitality,” he said.

The wild look vanished from the face of the gaunt man, and in its place came an expression of tremendous importance.  Indeed, but for the seriousness of the situation Frank would have felt inclined to laugh outright, it was so absurd to see this poor lunatic putting on such magnificent airs.

“You forget, young sir, that I am the Iron Chancellor, and that while in the field I shun all the comforts of home life.  An iron cot, the simplest food, these are enough for me.  It leaves the brain clear to handle the tremendous affairs of state that engross our attention.  Where is King William?” the other went on.

“Oh, he’ll be along after awhile.  Perhaps, prince, after you have partaken of our simple fare and rested by our friendly fire a little time, the king may join you.”

Frank managed to keep a sober face while speaking in this lofty way, but Bluff and Jerry, unable to stand it any longer, turned their backs on the couple.

Evidently the lunatic was very hungry, in spite of his possession of an “iron will.”  He kept turning a wistful eye toward the fire where the frightened black cook was hustling coffee and ham and eggs for his benefit.  And indeed, there was such an appetizing odor in the air that several times Mr. Smithson raised his head and looked longingly over the bushes as though he wished things would move faster, so he could come into camp and get his share.

When the food was placed before him the man ate ravenously.  The boys afterwards learned that he had not tasted a bite for two days, and they wondered at his having shown even as much patience as he did.

Just as Mr. Smithson had said, the escaped lunatic became drowsy as soon as he finished eating.

“Let me fix a nice cot for you here, prince.  When the king arrives you shall be awakened, all right,” said Frank, soothingly.

The man looked trustingly at him, so that Frank felt a little qualm of conscience over the fact that he had to deceive him.