As Dick bent over the old fellow, with his long, keen knife in his hand, to sever his bonds, the creature suddenly cried out some half a dozen words, in a thin, high, piping voice, causing Stukely to start forward and gaze earnestly into the face of the speaker; then, to Dick's stupefaction, Stukely replied in apparently the same tongue, bent over and rapidly loosed the thongs which bound the old fellow's hands and feet together, and proceeded gently to chafe the shrunken limbs. CHAPTER TEN. HOW THE TWO ADVENTURERS ACQUIRED A COMPANION. "Why, Phil," exclaimed Dick, in amazement, "what does this mean? Surely you are not pretending that you understand the old chap's lingo?" "No, Dick, I am not pretending," answered Stukely, regarding Chichester with a dazed expression. "It is a fact--a most extraordinary and unaccountable fact, that I really understand what the poor old chap says, without knowing it, without even previously suspecting it for an instant. I seem to possess a sufficient knowledge of his tongue to be able to comprehend his speech, and even to answer him; and I believe that in the course of a day or two I shall be able to converse freely with him. What he cried out just now was an entreaty that we would spare his life, and I answered that he need not fear us, for we meant him no harm." "Um-m-m!" commented Dick. "Well, this is the land of marvels, and no mistake! I thought I had grown accustomed to the wonders of it, and that I had no capacity for further astonishment, but I confess that you have contrived to give me one more spasm of surprise. Ask your friend who he is, and where he hails from: I dare swear that he is not a native of this village." Stukely turned to the old man, who was by this time sitting up and gently chafing his wrists and ankles, and attempted to put to him the question which Dick had suggested. But he found that the words would not come to him; he felt that he knew but could not remember them; and after two or three bungling attempts he was obliged to give it up. "Now, that is very extraordinary," said he, attempting to explain his failure to Dick; "almost as extraordinary as the fact that I understood the old chap's words, and was able to answer them. But I know his language--I am certain I do--and after I have practised with him a little, it will all come back to me. Meanwhile we must do the best we can. Are you feeling better, `gramfer'? And what were the Indians going to do to you?" This in English. The Indian looked up in Stukely's face and spoke for nearly a minute; and when he had finished Stukely was again, to his own and Dick's amazement, able to reply.