ow he had evidently dreaded that I should betray the
secret, and watched me and Gunson at our last meeting, which certainly
did look suspicious when taken into consideration with the object of the
latter's visits to the neighbourhood.

"Gunson shall come here and tell him everything. He shall make him
believe," I said to myself; and then in a despondent way, I felt that I
could not go up to the camp without making Mr Raydon think worse of me
at once, and then Mrs John would believe in him more and more. And it
all seemed over, and as if the happy days I had looked forward to when
the travellers came, would never be, and that I was the most unfortunate
fellow that had ever breathed, when a hand was laid gently on my head,
and a voice said--

"Mayne."

I started to my feet, and there was Mrs John gazing at me sadly, but so
changed since I had seen her before my start, that I could only look at
her wonderingly, and when she held out her hand I caught it and was
about to raise it to my lips, but she drew me to her, and the next
moment she was seated on the bench I had left, and I was down upon my
knees gazing up into her sweet face, feeling that while she lived I had
one who would always take for me the part of the mother I had lost so
long.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

AN INVASION OF SAVAGES.

It was quite two hours later that, as she rose to go back to Mr
Raydon's quarters, Mrs John said--

"There, I believe in you, Mayne, and so does my husband. Be satisfied."

"I never shall be till Mr Raydon tells me he was wrong," I said.

"And he will as soon as he feels convinced, so be patient and wait. My
brother is rather strange in his ways, and always was. When he becomes
prejudiced through some idea he is very hard to move."

"But I cannot stay here," I said.

"You will not go and leave us now that we have come so far. We shall
want your help."

"But--"

"Come, Mayne, you will not object to suffering a little, I hope, for our
sake. I dare say my brother will keep on in his stern, hard way, for a
time; but when he is fully convinced, you will be glad that you bore
with him."

"I shall do exactly as you wish me to," I said quietly; and I again
looked wonderingly at her, she was so changed.

"We shall not lead you wrong, Mayne," she said, smiling; and, at her
wish, I walked back with her to Mr Raydon's place, where Mr John rose
to make room for us, but Mr Raydon hardly glanced at me, and his manner
was so