in, stout cord.

I had almost forgotten the mountaineer's strange words, when a trifling
incident brought them vividly to my mind. One morning the Indian, as
usual, brought in my breakfast, and was turning to go, when he suddenly
stopped and stared at me with a look of intense surprise. He was a
short, stout, beardless man, with a bright brown complexion and rather
intelligent features.

"Well," I exclaimed, "what is it? Have I altered much since yesterday?"

The man bent one knee, and bowing low, exclaimed in great excitement,
"It is the key!"

Then I discovered that, my shirt collar being unfastened, the silver
key had slipped outside, where it hung in full view.

"Yes," said I, "it is the key right enough. What of it?"

His eyes were flashing now, and the glow in them lit up his whole face.

"What is the master's name?" he whispered eagerly.

Now this was an awkward question for me to answer. In the first place,
the man might or might not be trustworthy; and in the second, the only
name I knew was that of the bandit chief. However, I concluded the
venture was worth making, and said, "Men call the owner of the key
Raymon Sorillo."

"Ah!" exclaimed the Indian, with a sigh of satisfaction, "he is a great
chief. Hide the key, senor, and wait. A dog's kennel is no place for
the friend of our chief."

With that he went out, and the door clanged after him, while I stood
lost in astonishment. What did he mean? Was it possible that he
intended to help me? Thrusting the mysterious key out of sight, I sat
down to breakfast with what appetite I could muster. All that day I
was in a state of great excitement, though at exercise I took care to
appear calm. I waited with impatience for the evening meal, which, to
my disgust, was brought by a strange soldier.

"Hullo!" I exclaimed, "a change of jailers? What has become of the
other fellow?"

"The dog of an Indian is ill," answered the man, who was evidently in a
very bad temper, "and I have his work to do."

Placing the things on the table, he went out, slamming the door behind
him, and shooting the bolts viciously. The next morning he came again,
and indeed for four days in succession performed the sick man's duties.

Now you may be sure I felt greatly interested in this sudden illness.
It filled me with curiosity, and to a certain extent strengthened my
hope that the Indian intended to help me to escape from the fort. What
his plans were, of course