o?" exclaimed Mr. Clarence,
emerging from among the horses, and coming forward to shake hands with
Rothsay as if they had been in the daily habit of meeting for the last
four years.

The two men clasped hands cordially.

"I always had a secret conviction that you were living, Rule, and
always secretly hoped to meet you again, 'somehow, somewhere;' and now
my prescience is justified in our meeting to-day."

"Clarence," gravely replied Rothsay, "you ask me no questions, yet now I
feel that you are entitled to some explanation of my strange flight and
long sequestration. And I will give it to you to-morrow."

"My dear Rothsay, I have divined much of the mystery, but you may tell
me what you like, when you like. And now supper is ready," said
Clarence, heartily, as the four servants came up, each with a dish to
set on the cloth, quite an unnecessary pageantry where one would have
been enough, but that they all wanted to see the long-lost man. And with
the warmth and freedom of their race they quickly set down their dishes
and gathered around the stranger to give him a warm welcome, expressing
loudly their surprise and delight in seeing him.

"Dough 'deed I doane wonner at nuffin' wot turns up in dis yere new
country!" old Martha declared.

Then followed a gay and happy _al fresco_ supper.

By the time it was over the sun had set, and the autumn evening air,
even in that southern clime, was growing very chilly.

So the three friends arose from the table.

Rothsay and Corona turned to go up the hill. Clarence escorted them,
carrying Corona's bag.

They parted at the door of the log cabin.

"I shall have our tent pitched at the foot of the mountain early
to-morrow morning, and breakfast prepared. You will come down and join
me," said Mr. Clarence, as he bade the reunited pair good night.

The wagon camp did not break up the next day, nor the day after that.

On the third day who should arrive but Lieut. Haught, absent on leave,
and come to look up his relations. His meeting with them was a jubilee.
His sister wept for joy; his brother-in-law and his uncle would have
embraced him if they had expressed their emotions as continental
Europeans do; even the negroes almost hugged and kissed him.

On Lieut. Haught's representations and at his persuasions the little
camp broke up, and with Rothsay and Cora in company, marched off to Fort
Farthermost, where they were cordially received by the commandant and
the officer