with their astonishment
when they saw their guide fairly turn tail and run towards them, closely
followed by the furious man, who continued to thrash him all the time.

As Ravonino drew near, the angry man seemed to have exhausted himself,
for he fell behind, and finally stopped. The guide ran on at full speed
until he reached the wood, but did not even then slacken his speed. As
he ran past his friends, however, he exclaimed in a sharp, stern voice--

"Follow me!"

Laihova obeyed with the unquestioning readiness of a faithful hound.
The others followed suit with the open eyes of perplexity and amazement!

Reaching a sequestered dell in a few minutes, Ravonino suddenly stopped
and turned round with a calm air of satisfaction.

"Well, dis am de most awrful supprise I'se had since my mudder give me
my fust wollopin'."

The expression on the negro's face rendered the remark needless.

"It was well done," said the guide, seating himself on the trunk of a
fallen tree.

"A'most too well done!" returned Hockins, with a touch of sarcasm.

"Do you know," continued the guide gravely, "I've had a narrow escape?
The two men you saw laughing at the door are the very men we have been
trying to avoid,--the Queen's spies,--whom I have long known, and who
would certainly have discovered me in spite of my shaved and stained
face if we had come to talk to each other in the same room. Luckily my
friend is smart as well as true. He knew my voice at once. To have
talked with me, or warned me, or let me enter his house, would have been
fatal. His only resource lay in thrashing me off his premises--as you
have seen. How he will explain matters to the spies I know not, but I
can trust him for that."

"Das most awrful clebber!" exclaimed Ebony, his every feature broadening
with delight at the success of the ruse.

"But what are we to do now?" asked Mark.

"Wait till he comes here. He told me to wait."

"What! Told you?"

"Ay--you don't suppose he let his tongue lie idle while he was using his
stick. Of course I was myself taken aback at first when he seized me by
the throat, but two or three muttered words in the midst of his anger
opened my eyes, and I ran at once. All the way as he ran after and
belaboured me he was giving me important information in furious tones!
The spies are only staying with him for a short rest. When they are
gone he will come and find us here."

"He's a born actor," said Hockins.

"True-