"Don't fire," cried Miss Vyvyan, instantly catching up Cora in her arms as she used to do in the child's baby days.
"Don't fire," she repeated, "there are people here who are coming out of the woods on that side," at the same time, forcing her way among the trees, in the direction from which the voice came; and taking the advantage of making an inspection without being seen herself.
Cora caught sight of two figures standing on the open ground between the forest and the sea.
She clasped Miss Vyvyan's neck more tightly and whispered softly, "Look, Anna, there are two papas."
Miss Vyvyan paused, and looking between the branches she saw a tall, finely grown gentleman in the full military uniform of a colonel of the British army. By his side stood a man of smaller stature who wore the blue coat of a sea captain of that period. As the sunlight fell upon the bright scarlet uniform, the gold laced hat, the gold epaulets and the handsome scabbard which contained the colonel's sword, the child gazed in great amazement, not unmixed with admiration.
As we have already said, Cora was born brave, and like her mother struggled to keep up a calm courage through any emergency; but the poor little heart trembled a little when she said,
"Anna, I think he is a very pretty papa, but why does he wear that sword? Louisita used to wear a sword," she added.
"We are safe, Cora; he will not hurt us. He wears the uniform of our king. He would help us if we wanted him to."
"Shall we go to him?" said the child.
"Yes; we must so that we can tell your mama what sort of persons are on the island."