s you," exclaimed Stuart, as the young fellow's face
appeared in the aperture, gruff, sheepish, consciously punished and
ridiculous,--how could he dream of Stuart's scheme! "Take off your hat.
Wave it to her. Wave it with a will, man! There,--she responds. That
will do." Then, with a change of tone, "I advise you, for your own good,
to stay away from that window, for if any man in this garrison is
detected in engaging in sign language with the enemy he will certainly
be court-martialed and shot."

"Captain," protested the boy, with tears in his eyes, "I'd as lieve be
shot now, sir, as to have you think I would hold any communication with
the enemy,--the warriors. As to that girl,--the forward hussy came there
herself. I took no notice of her waving her hand. I'd--"

But Captain Stuart was half down the ladder, and, despite young Eske's
red coat, and the fact that he smelled powder with more satisfaction
than perfume, and could hear bullets whizzing about his head without
dodging, and had made forced marches without flinching, when he could
scarce bear his sore feet to the ground, the tears in his eyes
overflowed upon the admired freckles on his cheek, and he shed them for
the imputation of Captain Stuart's warning as to communicating with the
enemy.

That officer had forgotten him utterly, except as a factor in his plan.
He sat so jocund and cheerful beside the table in the great hall that
Odalie, summoned thither, looked at him in surprise, thinking he must
have received some good news,--a theory corrected in another moment by
the downcast, remonstrant, doubtful expression on Demere's face. He rose
to offer her a chair, and Stuart, closing the door behind her, replied
to something he had already said:--

"At all events it is perfectly safe to lay the matter before Mrs.
MacLeod."

To this Demere responded disaffectedly, "Oh, certainly, beyond a doubt."

"Mrs. MacLeod," said Stuart deliberately, and growing very grave, as he
sat opposite to her with one hand on the table, "we are trusting very
deeply to your courage and discretion when I tell you that our situation
here is very dangerous, and the prospect nearly desperate."

She looked at him silently in startled dismay. She thought of her own,
of all that she loved. And for a moment her heart stood still.

"You know that all received methods, all military usages, fail as
applied to Indian warfare. You can be of the greatest service to us in
this emergency. Will