I.

"Yes. Yes," said Maiden's Heart, and he coolly unhooked the grapnel from
the wall.

I saw that it was of no use to contend with a big fellow like that, as
strong as two common men, and I bought the bean.

I took the grapnel from Maiden's Heart, who seemed to give it up
reluctantly, and as I hooked it on the wall, I felt a hand upon my
shoulder. I looked around, and saw the sentinel. He held out to me
another bean. It was too dark to see the quality of it, but I thought it
was very small. However, I bought it. One of these fellows must be
treated as well as the other.

Maiden's Heart and the sentry were now feeling nervously in their
pockets.

I shook my head vigorously, and saying, "No more! no more!" threw myself
over the wall, and seized the rope, Rectus holding the grapnel in its
place as I did so. As I let myself down from knot to knot, a thought
crossed my mind: "How are we going to get that grapnel after we both are
down?"

It was a frightening thought. If the two Indians should choose, they
could keep the rope and grapnel, and, before morning, the whole posse of
red-skins might be off and away! I did not think about their being so
far from home, and all that. I only thought that they'd be glad to get
out, and that they would all come down our rope.

These reflections, which ran through my mind in no time at all, were
interrupted by Rectus, who called down from the top of the wall, in a
voice that was a little too loud to be prudent:

"Hurry! I think he's found another bean!"

I was on the ground in a few moments, and then Rectus came down. I
called to him to come slowly and be very careful, but I can't tell how
relieved I was when I saw him fairly over the wall and on his way down.

When we both stood on the ground, I took hold of the rope and shook it.
I am not generally nervous, but I was a little nervous then. I did not
shake the grapnel loose. Then I let the rope go slack, for a foot or
two, and gave it a big sweep to one side. To my great delight, over came
the grapnel, nearly falling on our heads. I think I saw Maiden's Heart
make a grab at it as it came over, but I am not sure. However, he poked
his head over the wall and said:

"Good-bye! Come again."

We answered, "Good-bye," but didn't say anything about coming again.

As we hurried along homeward, Rectus said:

"If one of those Indians had kept us up there, while the other one ran
into the barracks and got a fresh stock of sea-be