the encounter eagerly, was sent staggering back, catching
his heel in a bush and falling heavily, but only to rebound on the
instant, springing up knife now in hand and making at the nearest
soldier.

"Ha!" gasped Punch excitedly, as he saw the gleam of the knife; and then
he drew in his breath with a hiss, for it was almost momentary: one of
the two French soldiers who had approached him to obey his officer's
orders and disarm the informer just raised his musket and made a drive
with the butt at the knife-armed Spaniard, who received the metal plate
of the stock full in his temple and rolled over, half-stunned, amongst
the bushes.

Another order rang out from the officer, and before the young Spaniard
could recover himself a couple more of the soldiers had pounced upon
him, and a minute later he was firmly bound, as helpless a prisoner as
the young rifleman who watched the scene.

"Say, comrade," whispered Punch, "that's done me good. But do you see
that?"

"See it? Why, of course I saw it. That's not what he bargained for
when he led the Frenchmen here."

"No, I don't mean that," whispered Punch impatiently. "I meant the
gal."

"The girl?" said Pen. "What about her?"

"Where is she?" whispered Punch.

"Why, she was--"

"Yes, _was_," whispered Punch again; "but where is she now? She went
off like a shot into the woods."

"Ah!" exclaimed Pen, with a look of relief in his eyes.

"Yes, she's gone; and now I want to know what's going to be next. Here
comes the officer. What'll be his first order? To shoot us, and that
young Spaniel too?"

"No," said Pen. "But don't talk; he's close here."

The officer approached his prisoners now, closely followed by one of his
men, whose _galons_ showed that he was a sergeant.

"Badly wounded, eh?" said the officer in French.

"Yes, sir; too bad to stand."

"The worse for him," said the officer. "Well, we can't take wounded men
with us; we have enough of our own."

"Yes, sir," said the sergeant; and Pen felt the blood seem to run cold
through his veins.

And then curiously enough there was a feeling of relief in the knowledge
that his wounded comrade could not understand the words he had grasped
at once.

"We shall go back to camp in half an hour," continued the officer; and
then running his eye over Pen as he sat up by Punch's side, "This fellow
all right?"

"Yes, sir."

"See to his fastenings. I leave him to you."

"But surely, sir," cried Pen