on,
repeating his question, and then again away down a far-reaching valley
lying westward of where they stood.

And now the Spaniard's face lit up as if he fully grasped the meaning of
the question.

"_Si, si, si_!" he cried, nodding quickly and pointing right away into
the distant valley. "_Soldado Ingles! Soldado Ingles_!" he cried.
"_Muchos_, _muchos_." And then, thoroughly following the meaning of the
lad's questions, he cried excitedly, as he pointed away down the valley,
where an occasional flash of light suggested the presence of a river,
"_Soldado Ingles, muchos, muchos_." And then he tapped the musket and
belts and repeated his words again and again as he pointed away into the
distance.

"_Bravo amigo_!" cried Pen.--"There, Punch, I don't think there's a
doubt of it. The British forces lie somewhere over there."

"Then if the British forces lie over there," cried Punch, almost
pompously, "that's where the --th lies, for they always go first. Why,
we shall be at home again to-night if we have luck. My word, won't the
chaps give us a hooroar when we march into camp? For, of course, they
think we are dead! You listen what old O'Grady says. You see if he
don't say, `Well done, me boys! Ye are welkim as the flures of May.' I
say, ask him how many miles it is to where our fellows lie."

"No, Punch, you do it."

"No, I ain't going to try."

"Well, look here; these men have been very good to us, and we ought to
show that we are grateful. How is it to be done?"

"I don't know," said Punch. "We ain't got no money, have we?"

"Not a _peseta_, Punch. But I tell you what will please them. You must
give them your knife."

"Give them my knife! Likely! Why, it's the best bit of stuff that was
ever made. I wouldn't take a hundred pounds for it."

"Well, no one will offer it to you, Punch, and you are not asked to sell
it. I ask you to give it to them to pay for what they have done for
us."

"But give my knife! I wouldn't.--Oh, well, all right. You know best,
and if you think we ought to give it to them, there you are.--Good-bye,
old sharper! I am very sorry to part with you all the same."

"Never mind, Punch. I'll give you a better one some day."

"Some day never comes," said the boy grumpily. "But I know you will if
you can."

Pen took the knife, and, eager to get the matter over, he stepped to
where the bigger goat-herd stood watching them, and opened and shut the
big clasp-knife,