you?" said the old man. "Toby? and Carl? What is the
matter?"

"I vants Mr. Hapgood, or Pomp, or Cudjo!" said Carl, laying down his
burden.

"They have gone to bury the man in the rawine," said Virginia.

Carl opened great eyes. "The man in the rawine? That's vair Ropes and
the soldiers have gone."

"What soldiers?--Who is this?"

"This is their waliant captain! I am wery sorry, ladies, but I have
given him a leetle nose-pleed. Some vater, Toby! Your handkersheaf,
ma'am, and wery much obliged."

Salina stooped to take the handkerchief. A flash of the fire shone upon
the uncovered face. The eyes opened; they looked up, and met hers
looking down.

"Lysander!"

"Sal, is it you? Where am I, anyhow?" And the husband tried to raise
himself. "Carl, what's this?"

"Don't be wiolent!" said Carl, gently laying him down again, "and I vill
tell you. I vas your prisoner, and I vas showing you the cave. Veil,
this is the cave; but things is a little inwerted. You are my prisoner."

"Is that so?" said the astonished Lysander.

"Wery much so," replied Carl.

"Didn't somebody knock me on the head?"

"I shouldn't be wastly surprised if somepody _did_ knock you on the
head."

"Was it you?"

"I rather sushpect it vas me."

Lysander rubbed his bruised temple feebly, looking amazed.

"But how came _she_ here?"

"It vas she and Toby we saw going into the cave."

"What's that?"--to Toby, bringing a gourd.

"It is vater; it vill improve your wysiognomy. You can trink a little.
You feel pretty sound in your witals, don't you? I vas careful not to
hurt your witals," said Carl, kindly, raising Sprowl's head and holding
the water for him to drink.

Lysander, ungrateful, instead of drinking, started up with sudden fury,
struck the gourd from him with one hand, and thrust the other into the
pocket where his pistol was, at last accounts.

"Vat is vanting?" Carl inquired, complacently.

Lysander, fumbling in vain for his weapon, muttered, "Vengeance!"

"Wery good," said Carl. "Ve vill discuss the question of wengeance, if
you like."' And drawing the pistol from _his_ pocket, he coolly
presented it at Sprowl's head. "Vat for you dodge? You think, maybe, the
discussion vould not be greatly to your adwantage?"

Lysander felt for his sword, found that gone also, and muttered again,
"Villain!"

"Did somepody say somepody is a willain?" remarked Carl. "I should not
be wery much surprised if that vas so. Willains nowdays is