done you or your daughter wrong."

"No--have you _not_?" shouted the colonel. "Sir! rascal!--there is a
looking-glass over the mantelpiece in the estancia. Go there, look
_yourself_ in the face, and say, if you dare, that you have done me no
wrong!"

He wheeled about violently and strode away, fuming.

Lawrence went to his chamber, wondering at such a display of wrath in
one so genial.

He glanced at the looking-glass in passing through the chief room of the
estancia. The glance revealed to him the fact that there was a large
rich brown patch in the region of his mouth and nose!

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

TREATS OF SAVAGES, CAPTIVES, CHASES, ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS, AND
PERPLEXITIES.

Not unfrequently, in human affairs, evil consequences are happily
averted by unforeseen circumstances. It was so on the present occasion.

What Colonel Marchbanks's wrath might have led to no one can tell, for,
a little before dawn on the following morning, there came a messenger in
hot haste from Pedro stating that one of the scouts had come in with the
news that the Indians were encamped with their captives and booty not
half a day's ride in advance of them.

The result was an immediate order to advance and to close up.

It is interesting to consider how small a matter will cheer the spirits
of some men. The order to mount and ride naturally produced some
excitement in the breast of Lawrence Armstrong, being unaccustomed to
the dash and whirl of troops eager to meet the foe; but the succeeding
order to "close up" did more, it filled his heart with joy, for did it
not imply that the advance and rear-guards must come nearer to each
other? At least to his unmilitary mind it seemed so.

In a brief space of time, and with marvellously little noise, the troops
were in motion, and at dawn, sure enough, he saw the figures of the
ladies galloping with the advance party, with Pedro leading the way--for
he had been appointed to the responsible duty of guide.

Venturing to push a little ahead of his special charge, Lawrence soon
found himself with the main body, and heard the colonel order one of his
officers to ride forward and tell the ladies to fall to the rear of the
force.

Hearing this, Lawrence, almost imperceptibly to himself, tightened his
reins, but, before he had dropped many strides behind, the colonel
turned his head slightly and summoned him by name.

With something like a guilty feeling Lawrence rode forward.

"