and it has been too dark to see much. But where
should you say we are? Quite in a new part of the country?"

"No; I think we came nearly over the same ground as we were going after
we left that good old chap's cottage; and if we waited till it was quite
daylight, and we could start off, I think I could find my way back to
where we left the old man."

"So do I," said Pen eagerly. "That must be the mountain that the
_contrabandista_ captain took us up in the darkness."

"Why, that's what I was thinking," said Punch; "and if we had gone on a
little farther I think we should have got to the place where the
Frenchies attacked us. Of course I ain't sure, because it was all in
the darkness. But, I say, Mr Contrabando and his fellows have given up
the pursuit. I haven't heard anything of them for hours now."

"No," said Pen; "we may be sure that they have given it up, else we
shouldn't be halted here. I fancy, Punch--but, like you, I can't be
sure--that the Frenchmen have been making for the place where they
surprised us after being driven down the mountain pass."

"That's it," said Punch; "and our friends, after beating off the enemy,
have gone back to their what-you-may-call-it quarters--mine, didn't they
call it?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, that's what we have got to do--get away from here and go
back and join Mr Contrabando again."

"Impossible, Punch, even if we were free."

"Not it! Why, I could do it in the dark if I could only get rid of
these straps, now that the Frenchies are beaten."

"Not beaten, Punch; only driven back, and I feel pretty sure in thinking
it out that they have come to a halt here in what I dare say is a good,
strong place where they can defend themselves and wait for
reinforcements before attacking again."

"Oh, they won't do that," said Punch roughly. "They had such a sickener
last night."

"Well, I can't be sure," said Pen; "but as far as I can make out they
have a lot of wounded men lying about here in this bit of a valley, and
there are hundreds of them camped down about the fires. They wouldn't
have lit those fires if it hadn't been a strong place."

"I suppose not," said Punch. "I never thought of that. Because they
would have been afraid to show the smugglers where they were, and it
sounded when they were talking as if there were hundreds and hundreds of
them--regiments, I think. One couldn't see in the night, but while I
was lying awake I thought there were thousands