u more
now."--"I'll tell him," replied his brother; and the old servant
departed with all speed on his errand. Then Walter came back to the
window, and talked long and earnestly with Amos, telling him of the deep
concern felt by his aunt and father on account of his prolonged absence.
"But," he added, "I'm not going to tell you now how we found you. We
will keep that till we get home, and then shan't we have a regular pour
out?"

Wearied at last with waiting, Walter began to make another assault on
the front door. It was now getting a little dusk, and he was hoping for
Harry's return with the men; so, as he said, partly to see what he could
do by himself, and partly to keep himself warm, he proceeded to shower
upon the stubborn oak a perfect hail of blows and kicks. He was in the
very thick of this performance when he was suddenly made aware that a
horseman was close to him. He therefore stopped his exciting
occupation, and looked round. The horseman was tall, and of a very
sinister expression of countenance, with piercing black eyes. He was
also rather fantastically but shabbily dressed.

"What is all this noise about, young gentleman?" asked the stranger.
"Why are you battering my property in that wild fashion?"

"Because," replied Walter, rather taken aback by this question, "my
brother has been fastened in here by some scoundrel, and I want to get
him out."

"You must be dreaming, or mad, my young friend," said the rider; "who
would ever think of making a prisoner of your brother in such a place?"

"It's a fact for all that," replied Walter. "He's in there, and he must
be got out. I've sent for a blacksmith and some men from the nearest
village to burst open the door, and I expect them here directly."

"I can save them that trouble," said the other. "I keep a few odd
things--implements and things of that sort--in this cottage of mine, and
if by some strange accident your brother has got locked in here, I shall
be only too happy to let him out." So saying, he dismounted, and,
having hung his horse's bridle over a staple projecting from the stone
wall, produced a large key from his pocket, unlocked the heavy door, and
threw it wide open.

Walter rushed in and flung his arms round his brother, who gazed at him
in some bewilderment, hardly expecting so speedy a release. Then both
came to the outside of the building. The stranger had remounted; and
then, looking the brothers steadily in the face, he