lose upon his track.

"Don't get up," cried Rodd. "I tell you, I mustn't help you; it's
against the law; but if I were in your fix I know what I should do. Not
afraid of the water, are you?"

"What, swim for my life? Nonsense! In a stream like this!"

"No, no. Wade into that hole opposite yonder, and hide there till the
soldiers are gone."

"But they'd be sure to look there."

"Not they! They'd be afraid of spoiling their breeches and gaiters and
washing out the pipe-clay."

"Ready for you to betray me to them," whispered the lad bitterly. "No;
I'll surrender like a man."

"Oh!" growled Rodd, between his teeth. "If you weren't such a poor,
weak, helpless-looking chap I'd hit you on the nose. How dare you speak
to me like that?"

He raised his hand as if to strike, but there was a ring in his words
which had thrilled the fugitive, who to Rodd's astonishment caught the
hand in his, and quick as thought pressed it to his lips, and then
dashed into the water and splashed his way to the mouth of the hole.
The next moment the disturbed stream was the only trace left, for the
fugitive had disappeared.

The young fisher stood gazing blankly at the low dark mouth of the hole,
listening with every nerve on the strain for some sound from the
hiding-place to strike his ear; but there was none. From behind,
though, there came a loud voice, shouting--

"Here, this way; up by the stream!"

In an instant Rodd was full of action. Turning his back to the hole
across the pool, he began to whip the surface with such effect that at
the third cast there was a quick rise and he was fast in by far the
biggest trout he had caught that day, though small enough all the same;
and with knit brows he was playing it carefully just as a redcoat,
followed by three or four more, came up at the double to the exit end of
the pool and halted to stare at him wonderingly.

"Hi, young fellow!" shouted the leader, whose stripes betokened the
sergeant. "What are you doing here?"

Rodd, whose heart was thumping against his ribs from excitement, did not
so much as raise his eyes from the surface of the pool, but with teeth
set, lips pursed up, and brows heavily knit, kept on playing his fish,
paying not the slightest heed to the speaker and his companions.

"Fishing, eh?" said the sergeant, who, in spite of his important errand,
could not take his eyes from the darting trout. "I say, we are after an
escaped prisoner, and he came som