ny evil can happen to the boy?" asked Bladud
anxiously.

"Oh! I fear not for him. It is not that. He will be among friends at
the camp--but--but I know not how Gadarn may take it."

"Take what?" demanded the prince in surprise.

"Take--take my failure to find his daughter."

"Ha! to be sure; he may be ill-pleased at that. But if I thought there
was any chance of evil befalling Cormac in the camp, by all the gods of
the east, west, north, and south," cried the prince, carried away by the
strength of his feelings into improper and even boastful language, "I
would go and demand his liberation, or fight the whole tribe
single-handed."

"A pretty boast for a man in present safety," remarked the Hebrew, with
a remonstrative shake of the head.

"Most true," returned the prince, flushing; "I spoke in haste, yet it
was not altogether a boast, for I could challenge Gadarn to single
combat, and no right-minded chief could well refuse to let the issue of
the matter rest on that."

"Verily he would not refuse, for although not so tall as you are, he is
quite as stout, and it is a saying among his people that he fears not
the face of any man--something like his daughter in that."

"Is she so bold, then?"

"Nay, not bold, but--courageous."

"Humph! that is a distinction, no doubt, but the soft and gentle
qualities in women commend themselves more to me than those which ought
chiefly to characterise man. However, be this as it may, if Cormac does
not return soon after daybreak to-morrow, I will hie me to the camp to
see how it fares with him."

As next morning brought no Cormac, or any news of him, Bladud started
for the camp, accompanied by the anxious Hebrew.

They found the chief at a late breakfast. He looked up without rising
when they were announced.

"Ha! my worthy Hebrew--is it thou? What news of my child? Have you
heard of her whereabouts?"

"Not yet, sir," answered Beniah with a look of intense perplexity. "But
I had thought that--that is, by this time--"

"What! no news?" cried the chief, springing up in fierce ire, and
dropping the chop with which he had been engaged. "Did you not say that
you felt sure you would hear of her from your friend? Is this the
friend that you spoke of?"

He turned a keen look of inquiry, with not a little admiration in it, on
Bladud.

"This is indeed he," answered Beniah, "and I have--but, but did not a
lad--a fair youth--visit your camp yesterday?"

"No--no la