e contributed an
item towards the solution of the mystery. But he opened not his mouth.

"Them cussed traitors shall pay fur this!" said Ropes. This was the only
consolatory thought that occurred to him. Having uttered it, he looked
remorsefully at the spade with which he had rudely wiped the face of his
dead friend. "I thought 'twas one o' them rotten scoundrels, or I--But
never mind! Kiver him up agin, boys! We can't take him with us, and
we've no time to lose."

So they laid the corpse once more in the grave, and heaped the sand upon
it.

XXXVI.

_CARL FINDS A GEOLOGICAL SPECIMEN._

In the mean time Carl ascended the moonlit slope, with Sprowl's pistol
on one side of him, and the corporal's bayonet on the other. Between the
two he felt that he had little chance. But he did not despair. He
reasoned thus with himself:--

"These two men vill not think to take the cave alone. They must go back
for reenforcements. That shall make a diwersion in my favor. If I show
them some dark place, and make them think it is there, they vill not go
wery near to examine." And he arrived at this conclusion: "I suppose I
shall inwent a cave."

They were advancing cautiously towards the summit of a bushy ridge.
Suddenly Carl stopped.

"Anything?" said Sprowl. Carl nodded, with a pleased and confident
smile. "What?"

"You shall see wery soon. Shtoop low." He himself crouched close to the
ground. The men followed his example. "Come a little more on. Now you
see that rock?" Lysander saw it. "Vell, it is not there."

They crept forward a little farther. Then Carl stopped again, and
said,--

"You see that tree?"

"Which?"

"All alone in the moonshine." Lysander perceived it.

"Vell," said Carl, "it is not there."

Again they advanced, and again he paused and pointed.

"You see them little saplings?" Lysander distinguished them revealed
against the sky.

"Vell," said Carl, "it is not there neither."

He was crawling on again, when Sprowl seized his collar.

"What the devil do you mean?--if I see these things!"

Carl turned on his side, smiled intelligently, and, beckoning the
captain to bring his ear close, put his lips to it, covered them with
his hand, with an air of secrecy, and whispered hoarsely,--

"Landmarks!"

"Ah! well!" said Lysander, suffering him to proceed.

Carl crept slowly, raising his head at every moment to observe. The
bayonet came behind; the captain continued at his side. "The further