sought to avenge
the murders which had been committed, but because several women and
children had been carried off, and the rescue of these formed the main
object of the expedition.

There can be no doubt, however, that the desire of Lawrence to join in
such a praiseworthy adventure was not a little stimulated by the fact
that Manuela was to accompany her father, at least a part of the way,
and he naturally hoped to have some opportunities of speaking to her--
perhaps of riding beside her, as he had so often done when he imagined
her to be a daughter of the Incas.

But alas! the course of his love being true and deep--remarkably deep--
was doomed to run in its proverbially rugged course.

Colonel Marchbanks, when leading his men to "glory"--or otherwise--like
a true soldier, as he was, invariably moved with an advance and
rear-guard. Like a cautious father, he placed Lawrence in the
rear-guard, and arranged that there should be a considerable distance
between it and the main body.

We may remark in passing that when the first burst of the old
gentleman's anger with Lawrence was over he had generously resolved, in
consideration of what the young man had done for his daughter, to make
no further allusion to the ballroom scene, but merely to hold the
presumptuous youth politely at arm's-length, and take especial care that
the two young people should not again have an opportunity of meeting
alone. He laid no command on either of them, but simply trusted to his
own wisdom and watchfulness.

Being as it were a freelance, Lawrence, he knew, would naturally ride in
the force very much where he pleased. He had therefore cleverly
provided against the evil consequences that might flow from such freedom
by making a little arrangement at a brief and final interview the
evening before they set out.

"Now, young senhor," he said, in his usual abrupt way, "although a
volunteer in this expedition, and not versed in military matters, you
must of course put yourself under my orders, and consider yourself one
of my troopers."

Oh! of course, of course, Lawrence had not the slightest objection to do
so. He was quite ready to do whatever was required of him, if only he
might assist in the rescue of hapless captives; and although he knew
nothing of military matters, still, in the event of an engagement, he
might prove himself useful as a surgeon.

"Humph! We don't deal much in surgeons in this country. It is usually
do or die