time his officer entered.
"A prisoner waits without," said the officer. "He is a stripling; andsays he has urgent business to communicate to you alone."
"Send him hither, and let every one get out of ear-shot!" said Gadarngruffly.
A minute later Cormac appeared, and looked wistfully at the chief, wholooked up with a frown.
"Are you the pris--"
He stopped suddenly, and, springing to his feet, advanced a step withglaring eyes and fast-coming breath, as he held out both hands.
With a cry of joy, Cormac sprang forward and threw his arms roundGadarn's neck, exclaiming--
"Father!--_dear_ father!"
For a few moments there was silence, and a sight was seen which had notbeen witnessed for many a day--two or three gigantic tears rolled downthe warrior's rugged cheeks, one of them trickling to the end of hisweather-beaten nose and dropping on his iron-grey beard.
"My child," he said at length, "where--how came you--why, this--"
"Yes, yes, father," interrupted the lad, with a tearful laugh. "I'lltell you all about it in good time; but I've got other things to speakof which are more interesting to both of us. Sit down and let me sit onyour knee, as I used to do long ago."
Gadarn meekly obeyed.
"Now listen," said Cormac, putting his mouth to his father's ear andwhispering.
The chief listened, and the first effect of the whispering was toproduce a frown. This gradually and slowly faded, and gave place to anexpression of doubt.
"Are you sure, child?--sure that you--"
"Quite--quite sure," interrupted Cormac with emphasis. "But that is notall--listen!"
Gadarn listened again; and, as the whispering continued, there came thewrinkles of humour over his rugged face; then a snort that caused Cormacto laugh ere he resumed his whispering.
"And he knows it?" cried Gadarn, interrupting and suppressing a laugh.
"Yes; knows all about it."
"And the other doesn't?"
"Has not the remotest idea!"
"Thinks that you're a--"
Here the chief broke off, got up, placed his hands on both his sides androared with laughter, until the anxious sentinels outside believed thathe had gone mad.
With the energy of a strong nature he checked himself and becamesuddenly grave.
"Listen!" he said; "you have made me listen a good deal to you. It ismy turn now. Before the sun stands there (pointing), you will be onyour way to the court of King Hudibras, while I remain, and make thisHebrew lead me all over the country in search of--ha! ha!--my daughter.We must search and search every hole and corner of the land; for wemust--we must find her--or perish!"
Again the chief exploded, but subdued himself immediately; and, going tothe entrance of the booth, summoned his lieutenant, who started forwardwith the promptitude of an apparition, and with an expression of somecuriosity on his countenance, for he also had heard the laughter.
"Get ready forty men," said the chief; "to convey this lad in safety tothe court of King Hudibras. He is well known there. Say not that Isent you, but that, in ranging the country, you found him lost in thewoods, and, understanding him to belong to the household of the king,you brought him in."
Without a word the lieutenant withdrew, and the plotters looked at eachother with that peculiarly significant expression which has been thecharacteristic of intriguers in all ages.
"Thou wilt know how to act, my little one," said the chief.
"Yes, better even than you imagine, my big one," replied Cormac.
"What! is there something beyond my ken simmering in thy noddle, thoupert squirrel?"
"Perchance there is, father dear."
A sound at the root of Gadarn's nose betrayed suppressed laughter, as heturned away.
Quarter of an hour later a band of foot-soldiers defiled out of thecamp, with Cormac in their midst, mounted on a small pony, and Gadarn,calling another of his lieutenants, told him to let it be knownthroughout the camp, that if any officer or man should allow his tongueto wag with reference to the lad who had just left the camp, his tonguewould be silenced for all future time, and an oak limb be decorated withan acorn that never grew on it.
"You know, and they know, that I'm a man of my word--away!" said thechief, returning to the privacy of his booth.
While these events were happening at the camp, Bladud and Beniah werediscussing many subjects--religion among others, for they were bothphilosophical as well as seriously-minded. But neither their philosophynor their religion were profound enough at that time to remove anxietyabout the youth who had just left them.
"I wish that I were clear of the whole business," remarked the Hebrewuneasily, almost petulantly.
"Why, do you fear that any evil can happen to the boy?" asked Bladudanxiously.
"Oh! I fear not for him. It is not that. He will be among friends atthe camp--but--but I know not how Gadarn may take it."
"Take what?" demanded the prince in surprise.
"Take--take my failure to find his daughter."
"Ha! to be sure; he may be ill-pleased at that. But if I thought therewas any chance of evil befalling Cormac in the camp, by all the gods ofthe east, west, north, and south," cried the prince, carried away by thestrength of his feelings into improper and even boastful language, "Iwould go and demand his liberation, or fight the whole tribesingle-handed."
"A pretty boast for a man in present safety," remarked the Hebrew, witha remonstrative shake of the head.
"Most true," returned the prince, flushing; "I spoke in haste, yet itwas not altogether a boast, for I could challenge Gadarn to singlecombat, and no right-minded chief could well refuse to let the issue ofthe matter rest on that."
"Verily he would not refuse, for although not so tall as you are, he isquite as stout, and it is a saying among his people that he fears notthe face of any man--something like his daughter in that."
"Is she so bold, then?"
"Nay, not bold, but--courageous."
"Humph! that is a distinction, no doubt, but the soft and gentlequalities in women commend themselves more to me than those which oughtchiefly to characterise man. However, be this as it may, if Cormac doesnot return soon after daybreak to-morrow, I will hie me to the camp tosee how it fares with him."
As next morning brought no Cormac, or any news of him, Bladud startedfor the camp, accompanied by the anxious Hebrew.
They found the chief at a late breakfast. He looked up without risingwhen they were announced.
"Ha! my worthy Hebrew--is it thou? What news of my child? Have youheard of her whereabouts?"
"Not yet, sir," answered Beniah with a look of intense perplexity. "ButI had thought that--that is, by this time--"
"What! no news?" cried the chief, springing up in fierce ire, anddropping the chop with which he had been engaged. "Did you not say thatyou felt sure you would hear of her from your friend? Is this thefriend that you spoke of?"
He turned a keen look of inquiry, with not a little admiration in it, onBladud.
"This is indeed he," answered Beniah, "and I have--but, but did not alad--a fair youth--visit your camp yesterday?"
"No--no lad came near the camp yesterday," answered the chief gruffly.
Here was cause for wonder, both for the Hebrew and the prince.
"Forgive me, sir," said the latter, with a deferential air that greatlypleased the warrior, "forgive me if I venture to intrude my own troubleson one whose anxiety must needs be greater, but this youth left my hutyesterday to visit you, saying that he knew you well, and if he has notarrived some evil must have befallen him, for the distance he had totraverse was very short."
"That is sad," returned the chief in a tone of sympathy, "for he musteither have been caught by robbers, or come by an accident on the way.Did you not follow his footsteps as you came along?"
"We never thought of following them--the distance being so short,"returned the prince with increasing anxiety.
"Are you, then, so fond of t
his lad?" asked the chief.
"Ay, that am I, and with good reason, for he has tended me withself-denying care during illness, and in circumstances which few menwould have faced. In truth, I feel indebted to him for my life."
"Say you so?" cried the chief with sudden energy; "then shall we searchfor _him_ as well as for my daughter. And you, Hebrew, shall help us.Doubtless, young man, you will aid us by your knowledge of the district.I have secured the services of the hunter of the Swamp, so we candivide into three bands, and scour the whole country round. We cannotfail to find them, for neither of them can have got far away, whetherthey be lost or stolen. Ho! there. Assemble the force, instantly.Divide