“He rails with safety, who rails at a prisoner,” replied Bender, “but let me ask you,” he continued, rising and speaking slowly, and with an abstracted air, “let me ask you whether—” “Another time and place must suffice,” said the other. “One word,” rejoined Sir Philip, “only one word!” He paused suddenly, and threw back his head in a listening attitude. A distant tramp was heard. It came nearer—nearer—until a loud “_halt!_” resounded in front of the house. Then, with an air of indescribable exultation, he shouted, “Now, Colonel Gansevoort, the tables are turned. You are _my_ prisoner! What think you _now_ of ‘undermining the miner, and blowing up the engineer with his own petard?’” “Stand to your arms, my men!” shouted Gansevoort, hastily drawing his sword, “Let one fly and alarm the garrison. Quick! barricade the doors!” It was too late. The doors were flung violently open, and panting with haste, rushed into the room—not a British officer, but the Count Louis De Zeng! “We heard that you were in danger,” he exclaimed, hastily, to the commandant. “A hundred men at the door await your orders.” “Your aid is timely,” was the reply. “Take half of your men, and conduct the prisoner immediately to the fort. The rest will remain with me to receive our approaching visiters.” These orders were immediately put into execution. Wiley, however, became apprized of the state of affairs, and retreated with his men rapidly to their boats. They were not pursued. A few words will explain the secret of Count De Zeng’s unexpected appearance. When Arabella gave her orders to the servant of Major Bender, Alice, unperceived, stood trembling by. She was terrified beyond measure at the peril of Gansevoort, in whom the gentle girl was interested to a degree that she would not own, even to herself and which nothing could have induced her to exhibit to another. She could not give the alarm within, without exposing her predilections, besides which, she supposed the British force to be much nearer than they were, and that nothing but an immediate alarm of the garrison would afford the slightest chance of escape. She ran, therefore, as soon as she was unobserved, hastily to the fort, which was scarcely forty rods distant. A sentinel on duty conducted her immediately to Count De Zeng, to whom, after exacting a promise of secrecy in regard to her agency in the matter, she briefly communicated the state of affairs at her father’s house. The count lost not a moment in acting on her information, with the result which has been described. CHAPTER VIII.