gs or yours, so it might
well chance that he would reach the pass before me."

"Pooh, captain," retorted Maikar, with a look of scorn. "Ye think too
much of yourself, and are unwarrantably puffed up about the advantage of
size."

Without a reply--save a grin--Arkal turned, and, jumping into the
bushes, was immediately out of sight. His comrade, before starting off
to carry out his part of the programme, took a good look at the scout
whom he was bound to circumvent.

He was evidently a tall, powerful man, armed with a bow, a short sword,
and a stout staff somewhat longer than himself. That he was also a
brave and cool man seemed probable, from the fact that, instead of
hurrying off hastily to warn his friends that troops were in sight, he
stood calmly leaning on his staff as if for the purpose of ascertaining
the exact number of the strangers before reporting them.

He was still engaged in this inspection when Maikar started off and fled
on the wings of hope and excitement toward the pass. Arrived there, his
first glance revealed to him the troops of Addedomar busy with their
evening meal in the valley below.

"The question is, are they friends or foes?" thought the little seaman.
"H'm! it's an awkward thing for a poor fellow not to be quite sure
whether to prepare for calms or squalls. Such a misfortune never could
befall one at sea. Well, I must just take them to be foes till they
prove themselves to be friends. And this scout, what in the world am I
to do about _him_? I have no heart to hide in the bushes and shoot him
dead as he passes."

The little man had probably forgotten his readiness to shoot the scout
in the back only a few minutes before--but is not mankind at large prone
to inconsistency at times?

"I know what I'll do," he muttered, pursuing his thoughts, and nodding
his head, as he stepped aside into the shrubbery that clothed the slopes
of the pass.

Cutting down a suitable branch from a tree, he quickly stripped off the
smaller branches and reduced it to a staff about six feet in length.
Then, hiding himself behind a part of the cliff which abutted close on
the footpath that had been worn through the pass by men and wild
animals, he laid his bow and quiver at his feet and awaited the coming
of the scout.

He had not to wait long, for that worthy, having ascertained the size of
the invading band, came down the pass at a swinging trot. Just as he
passed the jutting rock his practised e