That night the surgeon of the "Furious" ascended to the mountain cave.
His approach was made known to Orlando, as he watched at the sick man's
side, by the appearance of Ebony's great eyes glittering at him over the
bushes that encircled the cave's mouth. No wonder that poor Zeppa had
mistaken him for a demon! Holding up a finger of caution, Orlando
glided towards him, seized his arm, and, after leading him to a safe
distance, asked in a low voice--

"Well, have you brought the doctor?"

"Ho, yis, massa, an' I bring Tomeo and Buttchee too."

"Didn't I tell you to let no one else come near us?" said Orlando in a
tone of vexation.

"Dat's true, massa, but I no kin stop dem. So soon as dey hear dat
Antonio Zeppa am found, sick in de mountains, dey swore dey mus' go see
him. I say dat you say no! Dey say dey not care. I say me knock 'em
bofe down. Dey say dey turn me hinside hout if I don't ole my tongue.
What could dis yar nigger do? Dey's too much for me. So dey follered,
and here dey am wid de doctor, waiting about two hun'rd yards down dere
for leave to come. But, I say, massa, dey's good sort o' fellers after
all--do whatever you tells 'em. Good for go messages, p'raps, an save
dis yar nigger's poor legs."

Ebony made the latter suggestion with a grin so broad that in the
darkness his face became almost luminous with teeth and gums.

"Well, I suppose we must make the most of the circumstances," said
Orlando. "Come, lead me to them."

It was found that though the strong affection of the two chiefs for
Zeppa had made them rebellious in the matter of visiting the spot, the
same affection, and their regard for Orlando, rendered them submissive
as lambs, and willing to do absolutely whatever they were told.

Orlando, therefore, had no difficulty in prevailing on them to delay
their visit to his father till the following day. Meanwhile, he caused
them to encamp in a narrow pass close at hand, and, the better to
reconcile them to their lot, imposed upon them the duty of mounting
guard each alternate couple of hours during the night.

"He will do well," said the doctor, after examining the patient. "This
sleep is life to him. I will give him something when he awakes, but the
awaking must be left to nature. Whether he recovers his reason after
what he has passed through remains to be seen. You say he has been
wandering for some time here in a state of insanity? How came that
about?"

"It is a long