the wall and all his training and
inherited instincts came promptly to his service. He knew that he, too,
would be in the shadow there, where it was not likely that the sentinels
could see him owing to the darkness of the night. Then he moved
cautiously toward the window where he had seen the outline.

The cold rain beat on his face and he saw the figures of the sentinels
moving back and forth, but, black against the black wall, he was
confident that he could not be seen by them. Half way to the window, his
eyes now having gotten used to the darkness, he knelt down and examined
the earth, made soft by the rains. He distinctly saw footprints,
undoubtedly those of a man, leading by the edge of the wall, and now he
knew that he had not been mistaken.

Harry came to the window himself, and, glancing in, he saw that the
merriment was going on unabated. He continued his search, following the
revealing foot prints. He went nearly all the way around the house and
then lost them among heavy shrubbery. He surmised that at this point
the spy--he was sure that it was a spy and sure, too, that it was
Shepard--had left the place, passing between the sentinels in the rainy
dark.

He spoke to the sentinels, who knew him well, and they were quite
confident that nobody had come within their lines. But Harry, while
keeping his own counsel, held another opinion and he was equally
positive about it. He was returning to the house, when he heard the
tread of hoofs, and then a horseman spoke with the sentinels. He looked
back and recognized Sherburne.

The young captain was holding himself erect in the saddle, but his horse
and his uniform were covered with red mud. There were heavy black lines
under his eyes and his face, despite his will, showed strong signs of
weariness. Sure that his mission was important, Harry went to him at
once.

"Is General Jackson inside?" asked Sherburne.

"Yes, and he has not yet gone to bed," replied Harry, looking at the
lighted windows.

"Then ask him if I can see him at once. He sent my troop and me on a
scout toward Romney this morning. I have news, news that cannot wait."

"Of course, he'll see you. Come inside."

Sherburne slipped from his horse. Harry noticed that it was not his
usual elastic spring. He seemed almost to fall to the ground, and the
horse, no hand on the reins, still stood motionless, his head drooping.
It was evident that Sherburne was in the last stages of exhaustion,
and now th