m start up in such a hurry and fling me down this
hole? I remember: they were scared by the barking of a dog and the
approach of some one on horseback. Whoever that chap was, I'll owe him
a debt of gratitude if ever I get out of here; and if I don't--Well,
perhaps he did me a good turn anyhow, for they would probably have
killed me in the end. Hello! I had forgotten these hardtack."

Mechanically thrusting his hands into the pockets of his coat during
this soliloquy, Peveril found the hard biscuit that he had slipped
into them on leaving camp. Now, though these were soggy with water,
they were still in a condition to be handled, and, carefully
withdrawing them, he ate one hungrily, but laid the other near the
fire to dry. Then he removed his clothing, wrung what water he could
from each article, rubbed his body into a glow, re-dressed, and again
sat beside his fire for a further consideration of his strange
situation.

As he could arrive at no conclusion regarding an attempt to escape
until the coming of daylight, which he hoped would reach him with
sufficient clearness to disclose the nature of his prison, his
thoughts finally drifted to other matters. He recalled his lost
letter, and wondered if Rose would grow very impatient at his long
delay in answering it.

"If she does, she must," he remarked, philosophically, "for I am not
in a position to hurry the mails just now. How distressed the dear
girl would be, though, if she could see me at this minute! That is, if
she didn't find it a situation for laughter, and, by Jove! I believe
she would, for she laughs at most everything. I only hope we will have
the chance to laugh over it together some time."

In some way thoughts of Rose led to a recollection of that other girl,
whom he had only seen for an instant; and when, a little later, in
spite of his desperate situation, he actually fell asleep on his bed
of cold flint, it was the face of the unknown that again haunted his
dreams.

CHAPTER XVII

UNDERGROUND WANDERINGS

When Peveril next awoke he was racked with pain, and so stiff in every
joint that an attempt to move caused him to groan aloud. A faint light
dimly revealed his surroundings; but these were so strange and weird
that for several minutes he could not imagine where he was nor what
had happened. Slowly the truth dawned upon him, and one by one the
awful incidents of the past night began to shape themselves in his
mind.

"I have been murder