In an hour or so, the forest was before me,
and then reining up a little, I again made
for the brook.

I had traced its windings for about another
hour, when I arrived at a cleared space in
the wood, and got sight of a block-house.

"Qui va là?" asked a deep voice.

"Un ami!" was the answer.

There were two men near the house, one
with grey hair and weatherbeaten features,
the other in the prime of youth, both Frenchmen.

The old man looked, with some astonishment,
at my panting horse covered with
foam, at his dilated nostrils and quick beating
flanks.

"Why, it seems you are in a hurry," he
said.

In a few words I explained the motives of
my visit, and told him my adventures at
Santa Madre; not forgetting to report the
advice of the German waiter at the coffee-
house, that I should trust in him for help.

He listened eagerly to my narrative, and
when I gave him a minute description of
the colonel and the major, his attention grew
to be intense.

"Again those two scoundrels!" he said.
"Well, man, step into the house. Never
mind the horse, the lad will rub him dry.
We have a few hours before us yet. They
know by this time where you are, and will
consider twice before they call here; though
we are quite sure to hear of them at nightfall."

I expressed regret for the trouble I was
bringing on him; but he only laughed and
replied: " Never mind, we are their match."

"But we are only three, and after all we
don't know how many ruffians that tall fellow
may bring with him."

"Let him bring a score, we are their match,
I tell you! Do you account the Princess
Royal nobody ?"

"The what?"

"The Princess Royal: la Princesse
Royale! " he laughed again. " Don't stare
at me, you'll see her by-and-by."

The block-house had a very durable
appearance; it was two stories high, and the
upper room was neatly furnished. On the
wall I observed a portrait of General Moreau,
My host was no friend of the first Emperor
of the French: the present Emperor he
mentioned only once during our conversation,
and I had better not say what he said.

He lighted a candle and began to block
the windows up, whilst I was eating and
drinking what he had placed on the table.
The lad made all safe on the ground-floor,
and secured the door.

"Now, we are all right! " said the old
man, taking his seat at the table, and mixing
rum and water in a large bowl.

"Au triomphe de la bonne cause! " he said,
touching glasses with me.

"But I don't see any arms," I presently
suggested.

"Arms? I have plenty of that stuff. How
do you think a man could get on in these
woods without arms? But we shan't want
them to-night." Again he laughed. "We
have the Princess Royal."

He removed the candle with the other
things from the table, and went out of the
room.

The door was opened again about five
minutes afterwards. I heard the crack of a
whip. I saw a rapid flash before my eyes;
and, with a mighty bound, that made my very
blood run cold, a large jaguar leaped in,
alighting with a heavy pounce upon the table.

"La Princesse Royale! " announced my
host.

I do not know exactly what figure I may
have presented at that moment; but I should
not wonder if anybody were to tell me that
I looked like a craven.

"Don't be afraid of her," said the laughing
Frenchman, when he saw me still as a
mouse, scarcely venturing to turn my looks
to her bright cruel eyes. " She is as decent
as a cat when I am by. Caress her, she
likes to be fondled; it's the weak side of the
sex, you know."

I touched her delicate fur but slightly
with my hand, stroking it softly down her
strong and beautiful back, the right way of
the fur, you may be sure.

She bent her powerful and elastic limbs
under my frail hand, and fanning the air
with her curved tail, seemed to encourage
me to bestow more caresses.

"Well, how do you like the Princess ?"
asked my host.

"Why, she is indeed handsome, and I have
seen none in the old world more majestic."

"Take her down-stairs, George," he said
to the lad, handing the whip over to him,
"and keep a look out yourself; but mind you
don't give her any supper. She shall help
herself to-night."

He placed the candle and our glasses again
upon the table, and began to sip his grog
quite leisurely.

"By heavens, man," I said, after a pause,
"it cannot be your real purpose to set the
tiger on those people?"

"Eh, parbleu! " replied he, " and why not?
What else do they deserve? Are they not
also tigers? You don't know them as I do!
The tall rascal is a convicted felon, and ought
to have been hanged two years ago at San.
Francisco. He contrived an escape, and fled
to Kansas. As to the other rogue, there is
hardly a crime he has not stained his hands
with. Make your mind easy about that."

A sudden thought came into my mind, and
I asked him, whether he knew anything about
that murder of my friend ten years ago in
the ravine near Jose Maria?

No, he knew nothing about that. It was
before his time; only he should not wonder
if the major had had a hand in it; it looked
very like him.