uling
himself from one to another, Ben at last found himself safe, with his
burden resting heavily over his shoulder.

It was now that the young captain found the woman was suffering
from a blow over the left temple, from which the blood was slowly
trickling. Laying the form down, he brought out his handkerchief and
bound up the wound as well as he was able. This had just been
accomplished when the sufferer came again to her senses and stared
around her in bewilderment.

"You--you--am I safe?" she asked, in broken English, but in a sweet
voice which went straight to Ben's heart.

"Yes, madam, you are safe," he answered. "Did those two men throw you
into the stream?"

"Yes, yes! Oh, they are villains, senor--great villains."

"I must say they look it, even if they are of our troops," replied the
young captain. "Come, do you think you can walk back to the mill with
me?"

The woman said she would try, and he assisted her to her feet. She was
still very weak, and readily consented to lean on his arm; and thus
they moved slowly back the way the captain of Company D had come.

During all this time Ben had not heard a sound from the house, and he
was anxious to know how Major Morris was faring, although feeling
positive that the major was fully capable of taking care of himself.
Now, as they came closer, he heard loud talking.

"We ain't goin' to stay, major,--an' it ain't right fer you to ask us
to," the older of the regulars was saying.

"You will stay, and that's the end of it," came in the major's
clean-cut tones. "If you attempt to pass through that doorway, I'll
put a bullet through you."

"But we are friends, major, and--"

"I don't know that I am a friend to you. It depends upon what my
companion the captain will have to report when he gets back."

"He won't have nuthin' to report, so far as we are concerned," put in
the younger regular. "We ain't done any wrong, 'ceptin' to quarrel a
bit between us. Everybody has a set-to once in a while, you know."

By this time Ben was tramping up the outside stairs, supporting the
woman as before. Now he pushed his way into the outer room of the
mill-house, the woman following with some hesitancy. At the appearance
of their late victim the regulars fell back as though struck a blow.

"Nice sort of chaps you are," exclaimed Ben, hotly. "You don't deserve
to wear Uncle Sam's uniform. A set of prison stripes would suit both
of you much better."

"Hullo, you've foun