the stretcher.

Suddenly he gave a cry of surprise, and to Rupert's astonishment
left his side, and sprang through the crowd. With some difficulty
he made his way to a young lady, who was standing with an elderly
gentleman on some steps a short distance back from the crowd. She
looked surprised at the approach of this British soldier, whose
eyes were eagerly fixed on her; but not till Hugh stepped in front
of her and spoke did she remember him.

"Mistress Von Duyk," he said, "my master is here wounded; and as he
has not a friend in the place, and I saw you, I made bold to speak
to you."

"Oh! I am sorry," the girl said, holding out her hand to Hugh.

"Papa, this is one of the gentlemen who rescued me, as I told you,
when Sir Richard Fulke tried to carry me off."

The gentleman, who had looked on in profound astonishment, seized
Hugh's hand.

"I am indeed glad to have an opportunity of thanking you.

"Hasten home, Maria, and prepare a room. I will go and have this
good friend brought to our house."

Chapter 11: A Death Trap.

Never did a patient receive more unremitting care than that which
was lavished upon Rupert Holliday in the stately old house at Dort.
The old housekeeper, in the stiffest of dresses and starched caps,
and with the rosiest although most wrinkled of faces, waited upon
him; while Maria von Duyk herself was in and out of his room,
brought him flowers, read to him, and told him the news; and her
father frequently came in to see that he lacked nothing. As for
Hugh, he grumbled, and said that there was nothing for him to do
for his master; but he nevertheless got through the days pleasantly
enough, having struck up a flirtation with Maria's plump and pretty
waiting maid, who essayed to improve his Dutch, of which he had by
this time picked up a slight smattering. Then, too, he made himself
useful, and became a great favourite in the servants' hall, went
out marketing, told them stories of the war in broken Dutch, and
made himself generally at home. Greatly astonished was he at the
stories that he heard as to the land around him; how not
infrequently great subsidences, extending over very many square
miles, took place; and where towns and villages stood when the sun
went down, there spread in the morning a sea very many fathoms
deep. Hugh could hardly believe these tales, which he repeated to
Rupert, who in turn questioned Maria von Duyk, who answered him
that the stories were strictly tr