the tail would just stick upon that spike. Hallo,
what's the matter there?"

Nat turned sharply from his brother to where Scarlett was hotly
protesting.

"It is a mistake," he said, angrily, to the two men who had approached
him on either side with stake and cord. "I am an officer and a
gentleman, and refuse to be bound."

"It's the captain's orders, sir," said one of the men, surlily.

"Then go and tell him that you have mistaken his orders," cried
Scarlett, ignoring the fact that Fred was seated within half a dozen
yards.

The men turned to their officer, who pressed his horse's sides and
closed up.

"What is the matter?" he said. "Of what do you complain, Master
Markham?"

"Tell your officer I am Captain Markham, of Prince Rupert's cavalry,"
said Scarlett, haughtily.

"I beg your pardon, captain," said Fred, coldly. "Now, then, of what do
you complain?"

"Of your scoundrelly rabble, sir," cried Scarlett, turning upon him
fiercely. "You see, they are about to treat me as if I were a dog."

"They were going to bind you, sir, as your men are bound. In our army,
the officers are not above suffering and sharing with their men."

Scarlett winced at this, and flushed more deeply, but he tried to turn
it off by a fierce attack.

"Then this is some cowardly plot of yours to insult one who has fallen
into your hands."

"I am obeying the orders of my superior officer, who placed you and the
other prisoners in my charge, with instructions that they were to be
conveyed bound to their destination."

"The men, not their officer, sir."

"Ah," replied Fred, coldly. And then, laconically, "Bind him."

"You insolent dog!" cried Scarlett, in his rage. "It is your malignant
spite. You shall not bind me, if I die for it."

As he spoke, he struck his spurs into his horse's flanks, snatched the
stout ash stall one of the men held from his hand, leaned forward, and
then, as Fred seized his horse's bridle to stop him from galloping off,
struck his captor with all his might.

The blow was intended for Fred's head, but the movement of the horses in
the _melee_ caused the staff to fall heavily across the young officer's
thigh.

Unable to restrain a cry of rage and pain, Fred snatched his sword
three-parts from its sheath, and then thrust it back, angry with himself
for his loss of temper, while Scarlett sat struggling vainly, for the
man who held the rope had skilfully used it just as a child would a
skipping