ne and that young Ross was acting in
his place that set them all to speculating on the cause. One of their
number, promenading with Lieutenant Hartley, glanced up at Major Webb as
they passed him by, with such a world of mingled question and reproach
in her soft blue eyes that his heart for the moment smote him. He had
never seen Esther Dade looking so languid or so wan, yet more _of_ her
and _for_ her had he been thinking during the week gone by than of any
other girl in or out of the army. To-day, however, there was another he
eagerly sought to see, and, with something akin to keen disappointment,
noted that she was not among the strollers along the board walk or the
chatting groups about the steps and gateways. Not once during her brief
visit had she as yet missed guard mounting. Now her absence was
significant. In the very eyes of the little party hastening toward
him--three young girls and a brace of subalterns--he read question and
cross-question, and was thankful to see Hay, the trader, trudging up the
walk to join him. So seldom did the old frontiersman enter the
quadrangle that people remarked upon his coming;--remarked still more
when Webb hurried down to meet him.

"You're right about the horses, major," said Hay, mopping a moist and
troubled face with a big bandana. "My racer and my best single footer,
Dan, were out last night. Dan's saddle cloth was wet and so was
Harney's. Some one outside has got false keys,--I'll put new padlocks on
at once,--but for the life of me I can't think who would play me such a
trick. To _steal_ the horses,--run 'em off to Rawlins or up the
Sweetwater or off to the Hills--I could understand that! but to borrow
them for an hour or two,--why, it beats me hollow!" And Hay in deep
perplexity leaned against the low fence and almost imploringly gazed
into the major's face. They all leaned on Webb.

"Any idea who they were?" asked the commander.

"Not the skin of a shadow, 'cept that one man rode shorter stirrups'n I
do. They forgot to set 'em back. They had my California saddle on Dan
and that light Whitman of mine on Harney."

"Sure it was two men?" queried Webb, looking straight into the trader's
eyes.

"What else could it be?" demanded Hay, in no little excitement.

"Well, I thought possibly Miss Flower might have been moved to take a
moonlight ride. No reason why she shouldn't, you know, and not wishing
to disturb you----"

"Then she would have used her own side-saddle. Wh