“Oh, you villain! I’ll have you hanged for that!” screamed Elfie.
“Oh no, you won’t! I’ll give you a better sweetheart than that little fellow!” laughed Mutchison, and he continued his flight, no one else daring to stop him, until he reached a clearing in the pines where the whole cavalry force of Goldsborough’s guerrillas were preparing to mount.
Colonel Goldsborough was in the midst.
“Mutchison, set that girl on the horse behind me, and secure her to my waist with these two straps!” said Goldsborough.
And Mutchison prepared to obey.
Now had Elfie been a very dignified young lady she would have been too proud to resist where resistance was vain. But Elfie had more temper than dignity. And so she fought and kicked and scratched and bit and screamed and scolded with all her might and main, and left upon the face of Mutchison marks of her teeth and nails that he would be likely to carry to his grave.
“Thunderation! what a little tiger-cat! Look here, girl! if you leave the prints of your fingers on my face in that style, the men will be taking me for your husband, and the colonel wouldn’t like that!” laughed Mutchison.
After much difficulty Elfie was conquered, and bound upon her seat behind her captor, who put spurs to his horse and bore her off in triumph!
CHAPTER XI.
A MOONLIGHT FLIGHT.
“She is won! we are gone over bank, bush and scaur;