at Mr Padre came back?"

"Must be very near," said Pen.

"Quite," said Punch. "He gets all the fun, going out for his walks,
a-roving up and down amongst the trees with his book in his hand. Here,
if he don't volunteer to take us for a walk--something more than a bit
of a tramp up and down in the darkness--I shall vote that we run away.
There, if you don't talk to him I shall."

"Don't, Punch."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want us to seem ungrateful."

"Oh, all right then.--I say, here he comes!" cried Punch the next
minute; and the old man trudged up to the door with the basket he had
taken away empty evidently well-filled again.

The priest looked tired as he came in, and according to his custom
looked questioningly at the boys, who could only respond with a shake of
the head; and this made the old man sigh.

"_Paz_!" he said sadly; and, smiling cheerfully, he displayed the
contents of his basket, stored the provisions he had brought in, and
then according to his wont proceeded to set out the evening meal up in
the loft.

This meal seemed to have lost its zest to the weary fugitives, and quite
late in the evening, when the lads, after sitting talking together in
whispers so as not to awaken the priest, who, evidently tired out by his
afternoon expedition, had lain down upon the pallet and was sleeping
heavily, were about to follow his example for want of something better
to do, he suddenly sprang up, ascended to the loft, and told Punch that
he was going out again on the watch to see if the friends expected were
coming along the pass, and ended by telling them that they had better
lie down to rest.

"That's settled it for me," said Punch, as the old man went out and
closed the door. "I can't sleep now. I want to follow him and stretch
my legs."

"But you can't do that, Punch."

"Ho! Couldn't I? Why, I could set off and run like I haven't done
since I was shot down."

"But you can't, Punch," said Pen gravely. "It's quite possible that the
captain may come and ask where the father is. I think we ought to
stay."

"Oh, very well, then, we will stop; but I don't call this half living.
I want to go and attack somebody or have them attack us. Why, it's like
being dead, going on this round--yes, dead, and just as if they had
forgot to bury us because they've got too much to do. Are you going to
lie down to sleep?"

"No," said Pen, "I feel as wakeful as you are."

"I say, look at that now! Of