had refused to desert him. All this time we
had been careful not to speak above a whisper, for fear, should an enemy
be in the neighbourhood, of giving notice of our approach. We had got
more than half-way down the hill, when, just as we turned a sharp angle
of the path, I caught sight, through the gloom, of a figure, some fifty
yards ahead of us, moving on, it seemed slowly; the person, whoever he
was, must have heard our footsteps, for he appeared to run on, we of
course making chase; presently he stopped, and the next instant we lost
sight of him. Some of the men fancied that he must have gone over the
precipice. We were quickly up to the spot, and were speaking pretty
loudly about what had become of the man, when I heard a voice crying out
my name, and, turning round, there in a hole of the rock I discovered
Harry supporting Reginald in his arms.

"Thank Heaven!" he exclaimed; "I thought you were Republicans, and that
we should have been taken off by them."

All hands were very glad to find the young gentlemen, but we lost no
time in talking. It had been just as I had supposed; Reginald had been
wounded, and falling by the edge of a bank had rolled down it, and
Harry, who had been at his side at the time, followed him. Just then
the Republicans who had been coming up had charged our men, and, in the
darkness, the lads being unable to tell which party had gained the
victory, they had been afraid to climb up the bank till all was again
silent. By this time Reginald's wound prevented him from walking, and
Harry had had great difficulty in getting him up the bank; he then had
taken him on his shoulders, intending to carry him down the hill, but
when he had got some way Reginald fainted from pain and loss of blood.
On this he had carried him to a copse on the hillside, some little way
off; here he had put him down, and had done his best to bind up his
wound, intending to go on again as soon as Reginald was somewhat
recovered. He had heard us hunting about, but thinking that we might be
enemies he had kept silent, though it was a wonder that no one had
discovered the youngsters. After we had passed by, Reginald having come
to, Harry had taken him on his back, and was proceeding down the hill
when he overtook them as I have mentioned. We, of course, lifted up
Reginald, and hurried as fast as we could down to the boat.

Harry, as he deserved, gained great credit for the way he had behaved,
for he had undoubtedl