His face fell and he looked up at her, troubled.

"I'm afraid you don't understand," he said. "We dare not send you away
under escort now, because horses' feet make a noise, and some prowling
Yankee vidette may be at this very moment hanging about the pass----"

"Oh," she said, "you prefer to let me remain here and be shot?"

He said, reddening: "At the first volley you are to go with an escort
across the ridge. I told you that, didn't I?"

But she remained scornful, mute and obstinate, pretty head bent,
twisting the folds of her faded skirt.

"Do you think I would let you remain here if there were any danger?" he
asked in a lower voice.

"How long am I to be kept here?" she asked pettishly.

"Until the Yankees come through--and I can't tell you when that will be,
because I don't know myself."

"Are they in the pass?"

"We don't know. Everybody is beginning to be worried. We can't see very
far into that ravine----"

"Then why don't you go where you _can_ see?" she said with a shrug.

"Where?" he asked, surprised.

"Didn't you know that there is a path above the pass?"

"A path!"

"Certainly. I can show you if you wish. You ought to be able to see to
the north end of the pass--if I am not mistaken----"

"Wait a moment!" he said excitedly. "I want you to take me there--just a
second, to speak to those officers--I'm coming back immediately----"

And he started on a run across the ravaged garden, holding his sabre
close, midway, by the scabbard.

That was her chance. Picking up her faded sunbonnet, she stepped from
the threshold, swinging it carelessly by one string. The sentries were
looking after the major; she dropped her sunbonnet, stooped to recover
it, and straightened up, the hidden hand grenade slipping from the crown
of the bonnet into her bodice between her breasts.

A thousand eyes seemed watching her as, a trifle pale, she strolled on
aimlessly, swinging the recovered sunbonnet; she listened, shivering,
for the stern challenge to halt, the breathless shout of accusation, the
pursuing trample of heavy boots. And at last, quaking in every limb, she
ventured to lift her eyes. Nobody seemed to be looking her way; the
artillery pickets were still watching the pass; the group of officers
posted under the trees still focused their glasses in that direction;
the young major was already returning across the garden toward her.

[Illustration: "She dropped her sunbonnet--stooped to recover it."]