econd floor.

But at this movement on the part of the men the girl uttered a cry--a
cry of such fright and appeal that the men paused. "Oh, don't go up
there! Please don't go up there!--ple--ease! There is no one there!
Indeed--indeed there is not! Oh, ple--ease!"

"Go on, Jones," said the captain calmly.

The obedient corporal made a preliminary step, and the girl bounded
toward the stairs with another cry.

As she passed him, the captain caught sight of that which she had
concealed behind her back, and which she had forgotten in this supreme
moment. It was a pistol.

She ran to the first step, and standing there, faced the men, one hand
extended with perpendicular palm, and the other holding the pistol at
her side. "Oh, please, don't go up there! Nobody is there--indeed, there
is not! P-l-e-a-s-e!" Then suddenly she sank swiftly down upon the step,
and, huddling forlornly, began to weep in the agony and with the
convulsive tremors of an infant. The pistol fell from her fingers and
rattled down to the floor.

The astonished troopers looked at their astonished captain. There was a
short silence.

Finally, the captain stooped and picked up the pistol. It was a heavy
weapon of the army pattern. He ascertained that it was empty.

He leaned toward the shaking girl, and said gently, "Will you tell me
what you were going to do with this pistol?"

He had to repeat the question a number of times, but at last a muffled
voice said, "Nothing."

"Nothing!" He insisted quietly upon a further answer. At the tender
tones of the captain's voice, the phlegmatic corporal turned and winked
gravely at the man next to him.

"Won't you tell me?"

The girl shook her head.

"Please tell me!"

The silent privates were moving their feet uneasily and wondering how
long they were to wait.

The captain said, "Please won't you tell me?"

Then this girl's voice began in stricken tones half coherent, and amid
violent sobbing: "It was grandpa's. He--he--he said he was going to
shoot anybody who came in here--he didn't care if there were thousands
of 'em. And--and I know he would, and I was afraid they'd kill him. And
so--and--so I stole away his pistol--and I was going to hide it when
you--you--you kicked open the door."

The men straightened up and looked at each other. The girl began to weep
again.

The captain mopped his brow. He peered down at the girl. He mopped his
brow again. Suddenly he said, "Ah, don't cry like that."