"Yes, miss," said Pitapat, who thought that her mistress was complimenting her. "And now, Patty, stand out of my way. I am going to ride straight up to the horse-block, dismount and walk right into the presence of Major Warfield," said Capitola, passing through the gate. "Oh, Miss Catterpillar, don't! don't! he'll kill you, so he will!" "Who's afeard?" muttered Cap to herself, as she put her horse to his mettle and rode gayly through the evergreens up to the horse-block, where she sprang down lightly from her saddle. Gathering up her train with one hand and tossing back her head, she swept along toward the house with the air of a young princess. There was a vision calculated to test her firmness. Reader, did you ever see a raging lion tearing to and fro the narrow limits of his cage, and occasionally shaking the amphitheatre with his tremendous roar; or a furious bull tossing his head and tail and plowing up the earth with his hoofs as he careered back and forth between the boundaries of his pen? If you have seen and noted these mad brutes, you may form some idea of the frenzy of Old Hurricane as he stormed up and down the floor of the front piazza. Cap had just escaped an actual danger of too terrible a character to be frightened now by sound and fury. Composedly she walked up into the porch and said: "Good evening, uncle." The old man stopped short in his furious strides and glared upon her with his terrible eyes. Cap stood fire without blanching, merely remarking: "Now, I have no doubt that in the days when you went battling that look used to strike terror into the heart of the enemy, but it doesn't into mine, somehow." "Miss!" roared the old man, bringing down his cane with a resounding thump upon the floor; "miss! how dare you have the impudence to face me, much less the--the--the assurance!--the effrontery!--the audacity!--the brass! to speak to me!" "Well, I declare," said Cap, calmly untying her hat; "this is the first time I ever heard it was impudent in a little girl to give her uncle good evening!" The old man trotted up and down the piazza two or three turns, then, stopping short before the delinquent, he struck his cane down upon the floor with a ringing stroke and thundered: "Young woman, tell me instantly and without prevarication where you've been!" "Certainly, sir; 'going to and fro in the earth and walking up and down in it,'" said Cap, quietly. "Flames and furies! that is no answer at all! Where have you been?" roared Old Hurricane, shaking with excitement. "Look here, uncle; if you go on that way you'll have a fit presently," said Cap, calmly. "Where have you been?" thundered Old Hurricane. "Well, since you will know--just across the river and through the woods and back again."