oung
gentleman; so speak the truth. If I let you go, will you lead the
cutter off on a false scent, or will you show the captain the way to our
place?"

Hilary remained silent.

"Why don't you speak, youngster? Which would you do?"

"My duty," said Hilary sturdily.

"And that is, of course, to point us out," said the man, smiling. "Well
youngster, I don't like you a bit the worse for speaking out like a man.
I've got my duty to do as well, and here goes."

He blew a shrill chirruping whistle twice over, and it was answered from
a distance; while before many minutes had elapsed there was the sound of
breaking twigs, voices talking hurriedly, and directly after, looking
black and angry, Allstone came up with half-a-dozen men.

Allstone's countenance changed into a look of malignant pleasure as soon
as he saw Hilary lying amidst the bushes.

"You've got him, then?" he cried.

"Oh, yes," said Hilary's captor coolly. "It only wanted time."

"I thought we should get him again!" shouted Allstone, grinning in the
captive's face. "Here's that cutlass, too. He's a liar, this fellow.
He said he had thrown it out of the window."

"So I did, idiot!" cried Hilary indignantly. "But I tied a string to it
to pull it back when I wanted it."

The men burst out into a hearty laugh at the idea, as much as at someone
calling Allstone, who had bullied them a good deal, an idiot.

The man glanced at him savagely, and Hilary read in his eye so much
promise of a hard time that he determined to make one more effort for
his liberty, and this he did.

"Who's got a bit o' cord?" said Allstone. "Oh, here, I have. Now then,
up with him, and hold his hands behind his back."

Hilary's captor rose, and a couple of men caught him by the arms, jerked
him up and held him, dragging back his arms, which Allstone came forward
to bind; but seeing the young man helpless before him, he could not
resist the temptation offered to him.

"I'm an idiot, am I?" he shouted. "How do you like that for an idiot's
touch?"

He struck Hilary a brutal back-handed blow across the face as he spoke,
and then went backwards into the gully with a crash. For, his hands
being secured, the young officer felt no compunction, under the
circumstances, in making use of his foot, and with it he gave the bully
so tremendous a kick in the chest that he went down breathless; and,
wrenching his arms free, Hilary made a dash for liberty, but his former
captor sei