Fritz ventured once to stay the King's hand.
"What ?" cried the King.

"Remember you start before I do, Master Fritz--you must be more sparing by two hours than I." Fritz saw that I did not understand.
"The colonel and I," he explained, "leave here at six: we ride down to Zenda and return with the guard of honour to fetch the King at eight, and then we all ride together to the station." "Hang that same guard!" growled Sapt.
"Oh! it's very civil of my brother to ask the honour for his regiment," said the King.

"Come, cousin, you need not start early.

Another bottle, man!" I had another bottle--or, rather, a part of one, for the larger half travelled quickly down his Majesty's throat.

Fritz gave up his attempts at persuasion: from persuading, he fell to being persuaded, and soon we were all of us as full of wine as we had any right to be.