in language thrilled me. Sir William violently started.

"You damned sacrilegious hound!" he cried. "What's this?"

Secundra leaped in the air, a little breathless cry escaped him, the
tool flew from his grasp, and he stood one instant staring at the
speaker. The next, swift as an arrow, he sped for the woods upon the
farther side; and the next again, throwing up his hands with a violent
gesture of resolution, he had begun already to retrace his steps.

"Well, then, you come, you help--" he was saying. But by now my lord had
stepped beside Sir William; the moon shone fair upon his face, and the
words were still upon Secundra's lips, when he beheld and recognised his
master's enemy. "Him!" he screamed, clasping his hands, and shrinking on
himself.

"Come, come!" said Sir William. "There is none here to do you harm, if
you be innocent; and if you be guilty, your escape is quite cut off.
Speak, what do you here among the graves of the dead and the remains of
the unburied?"

"You no murderer?" inquired Secundra. "You true man? You see me safe?"

"I will see you safe, if you be innocent," returned Sir William. "I have
said the thing, and I see not wherefore you should doubt it."

"These all murderers," cried Secundra, "that is why! He kill--murderer,"
pointing to Mountain; "these two hire-murderers," pointing to my lord
and myself--"all gallows-murderers! Ah! I see you all swing in a rope.
Now I go save the Sahib; he see you swing in a rope. The Sahib," he
continued, pointing to the grave, "he not dead. He bury, he not dead."

My lord uttered a little noise, moved nearer to the grave, and stood and
stared in it.

"Buried and not dead?" exclaimed Sir William. "What kind of rant is
this?"

"See, Sahib," said Secundra. "The Sahib and I alone with murderers; try
all way to escape, no way good. Then try this way: good way in warm
climate, good way in India; here, in this dam cold place, who can tell?
I tell you pretty good hurry: you help, you light a fire, help rub."

"What is the creature talking of?" cried Sir William. "My head goes
round."

"I tell you I bury him alive," said Secundra. "I teach him swallow his
tongue. Now dig him up pretty good hurry, and he not much worse. You
light a fire."

Sir William turned to the nearest of his men. "Light a fire," said he.
"My lot seems to be cast with the insane."

"You good man," returned Secundra. "Now I go dig the Sahib up."

He returned as he spoke to the grave