he thinks of his companion. How far may the Gaul be
trusted? He has known Frenchmen who were brave; he has a good opinion of
them as a fighting nation, and yet this individual specimen may not turn
out to be a warrior.

With the hope of getting an ally, then, he turns to the subject of his
anxiety.

"Monsieur Constans."

"I am here."

"Your words have come true. Arab robbers have, I fear, carried off my
friends."

"_Mon Dieu!_ it ees sad."

"I am determined to rescue them."

"Bravo! bravo!" clapping his hands with the excitement of the moment.

"One thing worries me."

"Ah! monsieur must be plain."

"It concerns you."

"_Le Diable!_ in what way?"

"How far can I depend on you?"

At this the French agent draws his figure up with much pomposity. He
slaps one hand upon his inflated chest.

"To ze death, monsieur!"

"Good! Tell me, are you armed?"

"It has been my habit, among zese Arabs, zese negroes, zese ragged
Kabyles from ze mountains. I would not trust my life wizout zis."

Then he suddenly flourishes before John's eyes, delighted with the
spectacle, a genuine American bull-dog revolver, which, judging from its
appearance, is capable of doing considerable execution when held by a
determined hand, and guided with a quick eye.

John instantly matches it.

"Hurrah!" he exclaims, with enthusiasm, "we are well matched, Monsieur
Constans. Let it be the old story of Lafayette and Washington."

"It ees glorious! Zey won ze fight. Why should not we, monsieur--"

"My name is Doctor John Craig from Chicago."

"I greet you zen, Monsieur Doctaire. Zis is all new business to me. Tell
me what to do, and I am zere."

"Then we'll follow these tracks a little and try to learn something
about those who were here, their number, whether mounted or afoot, and
the probable direction they took."

"Superb! I am one delighted to serve wiz a man of zat caliber. You
meesed ze vocation I zink, Monsieur John, instead of ze doctaire you
should be ze general."

John knows it will not pay to stop and talk with Monsieur Constans.
A Frenchman is inclined to be voluble, and valuable time may be lost.

So he walks on, bending low in order that the lantern light may be
utilized. Thus he follows the tracks some little distance, with the
fighting Gaul at his elbow, endeavoring to penetrate the darkness
beyond.

It is a peculiar situation, one that causes him to smile. This time
he is not tracking the deer through the d