, within a day or two from now."

Fate, however, decreed that Hyde should be unavoidably delayed in his
errand of warning.

On leaving Mother Charcoal's shanty the second time, he found that his
horse had disappeared. It had been hitched up to a hook near the
doorway, in company with several others, and all were now gone.

"Some mistake? Scarcely that. One of those rascally sailor thieves,
rather; not a four-footed beast is safe from them. What a nuisance it
is! I suppose I must walk back to camp."

What chafed Hyde most was the delay in getting to headquarters. He had
already made up his mind to find McKay as soon as he could, and tell
him exactly what had occurred.

"He will, of course, think first of Mariquita; but that matter can be
easily settled. We will send her on board one of the hospital-ships,
where she will be with nurses of her own sex. What is really urgent is
that McKay should look to himself. We must manage, through his
interest and authority, to make a thorough search for this villain
Benito, and get him expelled from the Crimea. That would make McKay
safe, if only for a time, although I suppose Cyprienne would soon
devise some new and more diabolical scheme. If I could only get on a
little faster! It is most annoying about the horse. I will go straight
to headquarters on foot, taking the camp of the Naval Brigade on my
way."

There was wisdom in this last resolution. The sailors' camp was the
Crimean pound. All animals lost or strayed, or, more exactly, stolen,
if the truth is to be told, found their way to it. Jack did a large
business in horseflesh. Often enough a man, having traced his missing
property, was obliged to buy it back for a few shillings, or a glass
or two of grog.

It was a general joke in the Crimea that the infantry were better
mounted than the cavalry, and that the sailors had the pick of the
infantry horses.

"I suppose I must go to the sailors' camp, but it's rather out of my
road," said Hyde, as he trudged along under the hot sun.

Many more fortunate comrades, all mounted, overtook and passed him on
the way. Each time he heard the sound of hoofs his rage increased
against the dishonest rogue who had robbed him of his pony.

"Like a lift, guv'ner?" said a voice behind him. "You shall have this
tit chape. Half a sov., money down."

Hyde turned, and saw a blue-jacket astride of the missing pony.

"Buy it, you rascal! why it belongs to me! Where did you get it?"

"I