d or evil, Brooke."

Brooke began to whistle, and then murmured some words like these:

"Non ego perfidum
Dixi sacramentum: ibimus, ibimus,
Utcunque praecedes, supremum
Carpere iter comites parati."

"What do you say?" asked Talbot.

"Oh, nothing," said Brooke; "dog Latin--some rubbish from Horace.
Allow me, however, to remark, that all this talk about death seems to
me to be cursed bad taste."

After this he began to whistle a tune.

Suddenly he held up his hand so as to display the ring.

"Who gave you this?" he asked, carelessly.

"Mr. Rivers," said Talbot, simply. "It was our engagement ring."

Brooke gave his usual short laugh, and subsided into silence.

CHAPTER XXIV.

IN WHICH BROOKE AND TALBOT STAND FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH.

This was to be to Brooke his last day in life. The thought of this
was ever present to both of them. The band would probably return
during the night, and in the morning the last scene would be enacted.

In the few days in which these two had known each other they had been
compelled to undergo great variations of feeling, and had come to
learn each other's inmost nature more thoroughly and intimately by
far than could have occurred after years of ordinary social
intercourse. Together they had faced danger and death; together they
had endured hope and fear, hunger and weariness, sorrow and despair.
The feelings of each had been stirred to the uttermost depth. Strong
natures were they, both of them; and they both were capable of
self-control, and they each knew how to wear an aspect of calmness
while all the time the soul within was in a tumult of terror or
distress. This night was to be the last on earth to one of them,
perhaps to both. So they said but little. They could but sit in
silence, and think, and feel, and suffer.

At midnight there was a wild clamor outside. The band had returned.
The prisoners went to the window, and there, standing side by side,
they looked out. Brooke thought that his hour might even now be at
hand, and the same fear occurred to Talbot. Neither spoke. So for a
long time they stood watching, listening, until at last the sounds
died away, all movement ceased, and all was still. The men had gone
to rest, and they now knew that there would be a respite until
morning. They stood looking out into the night. If a thought of
flight had ever occurred to either of them, they could now see that
such a thing was imposs