you so. There's a sentry up yonder, and our boy, Dummy. Don't let
them see you cry. It's like a woman."

Ralph sprang to his feet, with his face distorted, and his eyes flashing
wildly.

"Yes," he cried fiercely, "like a weak, pitiful girl; but I couldn't
keep it back. If it had not come I should have gone mad, for my head
felt as if it was on fire. That's past now, and I can talk. You see
how I am, I have come to you and your father--to you Edens, our
enemies--to ask you by all that is holy, by all that's manly, to help
me."

He stopped, panting, and trying to speak, but the words would not come;
he was choking. The blood seemed to rush to his temples so that the
veins stood out, and he reeled and would have fallen had not Mark
caught, supported him, and lowered him down upon the rocky path.

Then looking up, he shouted to Dummy.

"Fetch two men here--quick!" he cried.

Dummy disappeared, and Mark knelt down and unfastened the neck of the
lad's doublet, and saw that his head had received a bad cut, for the cap
had fallen off, and his face was ghastly.

"Poor lad!" said Mark softly. "I know it's wrong, but I can't help
liking him. Why, I know," he cried excitedly. "That's it. I never saw
such an enemy! He must have known that we were being attacked, and been
coming to help us, and those fiends have served him like this. That's
it! He's just the fellow who would do it, for I know he likes me. I've
seen it over and over again."

He sprang up, feeling ashamed of what he had said, and afraid of being
seen by his people, for he heard steps coming; and directly after, Dummy
came running down, followed by a couple of stout miners, each fully
armed.

"Here, Dummy," cried Mark, "run all the way to Master Rayburn, and tell
him to come here directly."

"Go to fetch Master Rayburn for him?" said the boy, staring.

"Yes, can't you see he is wounded and burnt? Run, or I'll go myself!"

Dummy, awed by this--to him--awful threat, dashed down the zigzag at a
dangerous pace, while, at their young master's orders, the two miners
gently lifted and bore the insensible lad up to the castle, into the
dwelling-house, and then to Mark's chamber, where he was laid upon the
bed.

As soon as he had dismissed the bearers, Mark began to bathe the lad's
temples, and in a few minutes he opened his eyes and stared wildly
round.

"Where am I?" he said.

"Here: safe," said Mark.

Recollection came back to the poor fe