bling grey
turrets of the little fortalice and over the juniper-and-thyme covered
foot-hills to the red peaks of the Sierra. From the point at which they
stood Moncayo fronted them like a lion surprised at the mouth of his
lair, that raises his head haughtily to view the rash trespassers on his
domain.

The lower slopes of the mountain were tawny-yellow, like the lion's
fell, but from the line at which the scant mane of rock-plants ceased,
Moncayo shone red as blood in the level rays of the setting sun.

"There, there!" thought Rollo, "I have it almost in hand now. Beyond
that flank lie Vera and the headquarters of General Elio!"

They were riding easily, debouching slowly and in single file out of one
of the many defiles with which the country was cut up. The Sergeant and
Rollo were leading, when, as they issued out upon the opener country,
suddenly they heard themselves called upon peremptorily to halt, at the
peril of their lives.

"Whom have we here? Ah, our highly certificated Englishman! And in his
company--whom?"

The speaker was a dark-haired man of active figure and low stature,
whose eyes twinkled in his head. He was dressed in the full uniform of a
Carlist general. About him rode a brilliant staff, and from behind every
rock and out of every deep gully-cleft protruded the muzzle of a rifle,
with just one black eye peering along it from under the white Basque
_boina_ or the red one of Navarre.

And for the third time Rollo Blair, out upon his adventures, had come
face to face with General Don Ramon Cabrera of Tortosa.

Yet it was with glad relief in his heart that Rollo instantly rode up to
Cabrera, and having saluted, thus began his report, "I have the honour,
General, to report that I have been fortunate enough to induce her
Majesty the Queen-Regent of Spain and her daughter the young Queen
Isabel to place themselves under my protection. I am proceeding with
them to the headquarters of General Elio according to my instructions;
and if it be at all convenient, I should be glad of an additional
escort, that I may be able to bring my charges safely within the lines
of Vera!"

The brow of General Cabrera had been darkening during this speech, and
at the close he burst out with an oath.

"I know no such person as the Queen-Regent of Spain. I have heard of a
certain light-o'-love calling herself Maria Cristina, widow of the late
King Fernando the Seventh. And if this be indeed the lady and her brat,
we