prove nothing.
Rabbits and rats and field mice and all sorts of things may have been
and eaten it. Cake and chicken! What waste! I might as well have
eaten it myself," he muttered. Then, once more aloud, "We may as well
drink what's in the bottle, sir."

"But it's gone, Samson," cried Fred, from the end of the tunnel.

"Gone, sir? The rabbits couldn't have--"

"And your jerkin is gone, too."

"Hooray! Then the poor old--"

Samson checked his jubilant speech before it was half ended, and
continued, in a grumbling tone--

"That's just like Nat I told you how awk'ard he could be."

Fred came struggling back out of the verdant tunnel, and rose to his
feet. Then, looking round, he said--

"We must try and follow his track, Samson. Which way is he likely to
move--"

He, too, stopped short, staring wildly before him; and then he caught
Samson's arm, unable to speak, so sudden was the hope which had flashed
in upon his brain.

"See him, sir?" whispered Samson, as he stood gazing in a startled
fashion in the same direction. "Oh, Master Fred, sir," he burst out,
"don't, don't say the poor lad's dead. Nat, Nat, old chap, not without
one good-bye grip of the hand."

"No, no, no," gasped Fred, half dragging his companion back.

"Not dead, sir?" panted Samson.

"No, no, no!"

"And you couldn't see him, sir?"

"No."

"Then what do you mean by serving a fellow like that?" muttered Samson
to himself. "I didn't think I could make such a fool of myself--about
an enemy, too."

"Samson," whispered Fred, excitedly, "can I trust you?"

"No, sir. 'Tarn't likely," growled the man, morosely. "I'm sartain to
go and tell tales everywhere, and blab it all out, whatever it is."

"No, no; I don't believe you, lad. You always were true as steel,
Samson."

"Master Fred, lad, I'd die for you!" half sobbed Samson, with his face
working; and he clung now to the hand extended to him. "But do, do
speak, sir. Poor Nat aren't dead?"

"No, no! How could I have been such an idiot!"

"Such a what, sir? Here, who says so?" cried Samson, truculently.

"I can't think how it was I never thought of it before."

"Here, sir, 'pon my head, I don't know which hole you're coming out of.
What do you mean?"

"They're alive, Samson; they're alive!"

"_He's_ alive, sir--_he's_ alive, you mean."

"No; I mean they must be alive."

"But there never was but one Nat, sir; and that was quite enough."

"You don't understand