e hated.

"You told me once," said Alvarez "that the three comrades of the two, the
three whom we have not captured, are much to be dreaded, and we have had
proof of it?"

"It is so."

"But what can they do now?"

"But little," answered the renegade. "It was farther north in the great
wilderness, where they are so much at home, that they could do us harm.
Here within the fringe of the French and Spanish settlements, they will be
hampered too much."

"Yes, I should think so," said Alvarez thoughtfully. "As you perhaps
surmise, I am going to stay here indefinitely, Wyatt. This place of mine,
Beaulieu, I call it, is at a suitable distance from New Orleans and I am
an absolute monarch while I remain. Here, on the border, I am as a
military commander, practically lord of life and death, and on one excuse
or another I can hold the troops as long as I please."

"Which seems to me to be very convenient for all our plans," said Braxton
Wyatt.

The Spaniard smiled, but speedily contracted his brows again. The cut that
Paul had given him was hurting.

"I should like to punish that boy in some spectacular manner," he said. "I
should want him to be humiliated in the presence of others as I was."

Suddenly he raised his head, which he had bent in thought, and his lips
curled in laughter under his yellow mustache.

"I have it!" he exclaimed. "An idea! Since young Kaintock can use the
sword I shall give him a chance to do it again! Oh, I shall give him every
opportunity!"

Then he leaned over and spoke in lower tones to Braxton Wyatt. The
renegade's eyes lighted up with delight.

"The very thing!" he exclaimed. "I'd have it done at once!"

Paul and Long Jim Hart meanwhile were resting in their log prison. Jim's
arms had been unbound and, after rubbing them freely, he said that the
circulation was restored. Then the two turned their attention to their
prison. Paul surmised that it had been built as a tool house or store
house, but at present it was empty save for himself and his comrade, Long
Jim.

The only light came from two little windows made merely by cutting out a
section of log and quite too small to admit a human body. They tried the
door but it was so strong that they could not shake it. Then Long Jim lay
calmly down on the floor.

"Paul," he said, "I don't believe I wuz ever fastened up in sech a little
place ez this afore. Ef I stretch out my legs my feet will hit the wall
over thar, an' the place is so cl