"I cannot answer that question, sir."
"Well, it doesn't matter much. We have got them on the run, and that was all we wanted for the present."
"I hope you don't intend to do anything to this place," went on Jack anxiously. "It is private property, and, besides, we have six wounded men here, in charge of a surgeon."
"An officer who is a gentleman always respects private property," was the grave answer. "As long as you do nothing treacherous, you have nothing to fear from me or my men." And so speaking, the colonel rode back to the road.
"A fine-looking man, and a gentleman, if ever there was one," thought Jack. "What a difference between him and that fellow who threatened me with his sword!"
"Will they come back, Jack?" asked Mrs. Ruthven, as she came outside.
"I don't know, mother. But the officer said we had nothing to fear."
"He looked like an honest gentleman."
"So I thought. How are those wounded men making out?"
"One is already dead, poor fellow. But the surgeon has hopes of the others."