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It has lingered a unique memory of those days, the outward carelessness hich we chattered away during that strange meal Surely no company of wanderers was ever in more desperate stress than we at thatus all lived to see the peaceful setting of the sun, now blazing high overhead Yet that simple noonday repast, partaken of beneath the shadow of the overhanging rock, reue and face than any since wetruthful narrative, Ithis down, yet there are doubtless others living to bear witness with me that there is often experienced an odd relief in discovering the presence of actual danger; that uncertainty and mystery try most severely the temper of men

It certainly proved so with us that day, and De Noyan's high spirits found echo even in the gri at last convinced that he was not called upon to wrestle with deht as the best of us Eloise added her gentle speech, while even I relaxed h to select a seat from which I could keep watch both up and down the ravine, convinced that our time of trial was not far away In consequence of this chosen vantage of position I was the first to note those stealthy nude figures silently stealing fro their way doard our position froe I could not conjecture; my eyes first detected their movement when their leaders stole noiselessly as phantoe More than this fleeting glimpse I was unable to perceive fro the view, nor did I call the attention of the others to their approach Nothing could be gained by exposing ourselves before need arose Indeed, De Noyan chanced to observe their presence before I ventured upon speech at all

"Ha,to peer above the low breastworks "What have we here? By entleh uncertain of our whereabouts, yet hardly as if greatly fearing our numbers What do you es, but not of any tribe within ravely, staring at theely whitish skin, and I am not over pleased with their mode of advance; it has the steadiness of a drilled colun Sacre! note yonder how that tall fellow on the right guides therenadiers Eloise," he turned hastily toward his wife, more tenderness in histo be a hard battle, or I reatly the temper of yonder warriors Take this pistol; it is all I have of the kind I will trust my fortune on the blade You kno best to use it should things go wrong with us at the front"