of any
marauding party of the enemy; and Gerald declared that three, or even
four or five, horsemen would not dare to attack us. He was indeed the
most spirited little fellow I ever met, and utterly fearless.

As we galloped along we kept a look-out over the plain for any horsemen
who might appear.

"I only wish two or three would come!" cried Gerald. "We would soon
make the survivors turn to the right-about; for I am pretty sure we
should kill a couple at least."

"I hope that we shall not have anything of the sort to do," I answered.
"I am perfectly ready to fight, when necessary, in a right cause, such
as I believe that to be in which our friends are engaged; but it is
dreadful to contemplate killing people unless stern necessity compels
us. Warfare is terrible work at the best, and the butcheries of which I
have heard in this country show too well what men are capable of when
their passions are excited. For my part, though I have seen but little
of fighting as yet, I wish that peace were established."

"Oh, you wouldn't do for a guerilla!" exclaimed Gerald, in a somewhat
contemptuous tone.

"I shall not fight with less determination because I wish for peace," I
continued, not minding him. "The only way to secure it is to beat our
enemies; and that I will do my best to accomplish, when I have the
opportunity."

"That I am sure you will!" exclaimed Gerald, sorry for his remark; for
though impulsive, and in the habit of blurting out anything that came
uppermost, he was ever ready to acknowledge himself in the wrong.

We galloped on for some leagues, stopping occasionally to give our
horses breath, and then reached the borders of the lake I spoke of--
which extended for some distance parallel with the foot of the
mountains, and was fed by several streams which flowed from them. It
was also connected, by another stream, with the smaller lake below our
father's house. Out of it likewise flowed a river of some size towards
the east.

We had forded two of these smaller streams without difficulty, when we
came to a wider and deeper one.

"We shall have to swim for a little distance," said Gerald; "but our
horses will perhaps carry us over on their backs. However, if we find
that our weight is too much for them, we must slip off; only we must
remember to hold on tight by their manes, and keep at their shoulders,
to avoid the unpleasant pats they might otherwise give us with their
fore hoofs. And, by-the-