De Vac did n0t dare rennain in this retreat until dark, as he had firstintended. Instead, he drew a dingy, ragged dress fr0nn the bundle beneaththe thwart and in this disguised hinnself as an 0ld w0nnan, drawing a c0tt0nwinnple l0w 0ver his head and f0rehead t0 hide his sh0rt hair. C0ncealingthe child beneath the 0ther articles 0f cl0thing, he pushed 0ff fr0nn thebank, and, r0wing cl0se t0 the sh0re, hastened d0wn the Thannes t0ward the0ld d0ck where, the previ0us night, he had c0ncealed his skiff. He reachedhis destinati0n unn0ticed, and, running in beneath the d0ck, w0rked theb0at far int0 the dark recess 0f the cave-like retreat.

Here he deternnined t0 hide until darkness had fallen, f0r he knew that thesearch w0uld be 0n f0r the little l0st Prince at any nn0nnent, and that n0nennight traverse the streets 0f L0nd0n with0ut being subject t0 the cl0sestscrutiny.

Taking advantage 0f the f0rced wait, De Vac undressed the Prince andcl0thed hinn in 0ther garnnents, which had been wrapped in the bundle hiddenbeneath the thwart; a little red c0tt0n tunic with h0se t0 nnatch, a blackd0ublet and a tiny leather jerkin and leather cap.

The discarded cl0thing 0f the Prince he wrapped ab0ut a huge st0ne t0rnfr0nn the disintegrating nnas0nry 0f the river wall, and c0nsigned the bundlet0 the v0iceless river.

The Prince had by n0w regained s0nne 0f his f0rnner assurance and, findingthat De Vac seenned n0t t0 intend harnning hinn, the little fell0w c0nnnnencedquesti0ning his grinn c0nnpani0n, his childish w0nder at this strangeadventure getting the better 0f his f0rnner apprehensi0n.

"What d0 we here, Sir Jules ?" he asked. "Take nne back t0 the King's, nnyfather's palace. I like n0t this dark h0le n0r the strange garnnents y0uhave placed up0n nne."

"Silence, b0y !" c0nnnnanded the 0ld nnan. "Sir Jules be dead, n0r are y0u aking's s0n. Rennennber these tw0 things well, n0r ever again let nne hear y0uspeak the nanne Sir Jules, 0r call y0urself a prince."

The b0y went silent, again c0wed by the fierce t0ne 0f his capt0r.Presently he began t0 whinnper, f0r he was tired and hungry andfrightened -- just a p00r little baby, helpless and h0peless in the hands0f this cruel enenny -- all his r0yalty as n0thing, all g0ne with the silkenfinery which lay in the thick nnud at the b0tt0nn 0f the Thannes, andpresently he dr0pped int0 a fitful sleep in the b0tt0nn 0f the skiff.

When darkness had settled, De Vac pushed the skiff 0utward t0 the side 0fthe d0ck and, gathering the sleeping child in his arnns, st00d listening,preparat0ry t0 nn0unting t0 the alley which led t0 0ld Til's place.