Kum along hyur! I ain't a-gwine
to let yer go till it's all fixed. De ye hear?"

I heard the heavy foot of the hunter as he approached, and presently his
voice calling through the loophole in a guarded whisper:

"Cap'n!"

"Hush, Bob! it's all right," I replied, speaking in a low tone, for the
sentries were moving suspiciously around the door.

"Good!" ejaculated he. "Yer kin go now," he added to the other, whose
attention I endeavoured to attract, but dared not call to loud enough,
lest the guards should hear me. "Dash my buttons! I don't want yer to
go--yer a good 'un arter all. Why can't yer kum along? The cap'n 'll
make it all straight agin about the desartion."

"Mr Lincoln, I cannot go with you. Please suffer me to depart!"

"Wal! yer own likes! but if I can do yer a good turn, you can depend on
Bob Linkin--mind that."

"Thank you! thank you!"

And before I could interfere to prevent it, she was gone. I could hear
the voice, sad and sweet in the distance, calling back, "_Adios_!"

I had no time for reflection, else the mystery that surrounded me would
have occupied my thoughts for hours. It was time to act. Again I heard
Lincoln's voice at the loophole.

"What is it?" I inquired.

"How are yer ter get out, Cap'n?"

"We are cutting a hole through the wall."

"If yer can give me the spot, I'll meet yer half-ways."

I measured the distance from the loophole, and handed the string to
Lincoln. We heard no more from the hunter until the moonlight glanced
through the wall upon the blade of his knife. Then he uttered a short
ejaculation, such as may be heard from the "mountain men" at peculiar
crises; and after that we could hear him exclaiming:

"Look out, Rowl! Hang it, man! ye're a-cuttin' my claws!"

In a few minutes the hole was large enough to pass our bodies; and one
by one we crawled out, and were once more at liberty.

CHAPTER FORTY.

MARIA DE MERCED.

There was a deep ditch under the wall, filled with cactus-plants and dry
grass. We lay in the bottom of this for some minutes, panting with
fatigue. Our limbs were stiff and swollen, and we could hardly stand
upright. A little delay then was necessary, to bring back the blood and
determine our future course.

"We had best ter keep the gully," whispered Lincoln. "I kum across the
fields myself, but that 'ar kiver's thin, and they may sight us."

"The best route is the ditch," assented Raoul: "there are some windows,