ond the entrance; and they were
nearly close up to the little Spanish party before their advance was
observed, and then one of the Spaniards shouted a command which resulted
in his fellows of the King's bodyguard of friends turning suddenly upon
them to form a _chevaux-de-frise_ of sword-blades for the protection of
their Sovereign.

For the moment, in the excitement, the two lads' lives were in peril;
but Pen did not flinch, and, though suffering acute pain from his wound,
ran on, his left arm almost brushing the little hedge of sword-points,
and only slackening his speed when he was a dozen yards in front and
came right upon the smuggler-leader, pistol in one hand, long Spanish
knife in the other.

Instead of angrily denouncing them for their disobedience to his order,
he signed to them to stop, and ran on to meet the King's party, holding
up his hand; and then, taking the lead, he turned off a little way to
his left toward a huge pile of stones and mine-refuse, where he placed
them, as it were, behind a bank which would act as a defence if a rush
upon them were made from the front.

The two lads watched him, panting the while with excitement, listening
as they watched to the fierce burst of firing that was now being
sustained.

The King gave way at once to the smuggler's orders, planting himself
with his followers ready for an anticipated assault; and, apparently
satisfied, the smuggler waved the hand that grasped his knife and ran
forward again with the two young Englishmen.

This time it was the pistol that he waved to them as if bidding them
follow, and he ran on some forty or fifty yards to where the entrance
widened out and another heap of mine-rubbish offered itself upon the
other side as a rough earthwork for defence, and where the two lads
could find a temporary parapet which commanded the entry for nearly a
hundred yards.

Here he bade the two lads kneel where, perfectly safe themselves, they
could do something to protect their Spanish friends behind on their
left.

"Do your best," he said hoarsely. "They are driving my men back fast;
but if you can keep up a steady fire, little as it will be, it will act
as a surprise and maybe check their advance. But take care and mind not
to injure any of my men."

He said no more, but ran forward again along the still unoccupied way,
till a curve of the great rift hid him from their sight.

"What did he say?" whispered Punch excitedly, as Pen now looked ro