ch an inopportune
moment. "Surely, as an old man, I have the right to remonstrate with
you for encouraging anything like disagreement when our success in
finding the boy,--I--I mean the girl,--depends--"

A burst of laughter from the chief cut him short.

"You don't seem to be quite sure of what you mean," he cried, "or to be
able to say it. Come, come, prince, if the Hebrew claims a right to
remonstrate because he is twenty years or so older than I am, surely I
may claim the same right, for I am full twenty years older than you. Is
it seemly to let your hot young blood boil over at every trifle? Here,
let me replenish your platter, for it is ill hunting after man, woman,
or beast without a stomach full of victuals."

There was no resisting the impulsive chief.

Both his guests cleared their brows and laughed--though there was still
a touch of exasperation in the Hebrew's tone.

While the search was being thus diligently though needlessly prosecuted
in the neighbourhood of the Hot Swamp by Gadarn, who was dearly fond of
a practical joke, another chief, who was in no joking humour, paid a
visit one evening to his mother. Perhaps it is unnecessary to say that
this chief was Gunrig.

"From all that I see and hear, mother," he said, walking up and down the
room, as was his habit, with his hands behind him, "it is clear that if
I do not go about it myself, the king will let the matter drop; for he
is convinced that the girl has run off with some fellow, and will easily
make her way home."

"Don't you think he may be right, my son?"

"No, I don't, my much-too-wise mother. I know the girl better than
that. It is enough to look in her face to know that she could not run
away with any fellow!"

"H'm!" remarked the woman significantly.

"What say you?" demanded the chief, sharply.

"I scarcely know what to say. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to
take a band of our own men and go off in search of the girl yourself."

"That's just what I've made up my mind to do; but I wanted to see if
Hudibras would get up a band to join mine, for I dare not take many away
from the town when that scoundrel Addedomar is threatening to make a
raid upon us."

"My son," said the woman anxiously, "what threatened raid do you speak
of?"

"Did you not hear? Since the last time we gave that robber a drubbing
at the Hot Swamp, he has taken to the woods and gathered together a
large band of rascals like himself. We would no