solute
little party, and looked helplessly at the sullen, scowling faces of his
own men. "I yield to force of arms," he said hoarsely; "but I protest
against this unjustifiable outrage. Lagarde, bring the fellow out!"

The storekeeper had meanwhile returned to the room, and now, at
Ruthven's bidding, he entered an apartment in the rear and partly closed
the door behind him. For a brief interval we waited in silence, hearing
only an indistinct murmur of voices. Then Lagarde reappeared, followed
by the prisoner.

At sight of the man my heart gave a wild throb, and a cry of amazement
was forced to my lips, for there before me, as dashing-looking as ever,
but with cheeks slightly sunken and blanched from illness, stood Captain
Myles Rudstone.

"You!" I gasped. "Back from the dead!"

"It's the captain, sure enough!" shouted Carteret.

I half expected to see him vanish in thin air, but my doubts were
dispelled when he came quickly forward and clasped my hand.

"Don't stare at me as though I was a ghost," he said laughingly. "You
see I am real flesh and blood, my dear Carew. I have turned up again,
like a bad penny."

"I never dreamed that the prisoner could be you!" I exclaimed. "We
believed you dead--buried under the snow."

"It was a natural supposition," the captain replied, as he shook hands
with Carteret and Lieutenant Boyd.

"My good fellows, I am greatly indebted to you for this service--for
your timely rescue. I was awake when you arrived, and overheard the
little discussion, but as I was both gagged and bound, I could do
nothing in my own behalf."

With that his face darkened, and striding to the table, he struck it a
blow with his fist that set the bottles and cups rattling, and caused
Ruthven and his evil crew to shrink back in their seats.

"You and I will have a reckoning at a later time," he cried, addressing
Ruthven. "Be assured that it will come!"

"A word with you, Captain Rudstone," said Boyd. "I must warn you that
you are charged with a grave crime, and that I have given a pledge for
your safe keeping at Fort Garry."

"What is the accusation?"

"The murder of Cuthbert Mackenzie!" Ruthven blurted out savagely.

The captain shrugged his shoulders, laughed insolently, and gave me a
meaning and reassuring glance.

"I reserve my defense," he said. "I will say nothing at present as to
the truth or falsity of this charge. Certainly I have done nothing that
I would willingly undo--quite the con