with round blue
eyes widening.

"I did not say so. I said that we march at day-break. You veterans of
the pewter know best how much ale to carry with you to bed. All I
require are some dozen steady legs in the morning."

A roar of laughter broke out.

"You may trust us, Captain! Good night, Captain! A health to you, sir!
We will remember!"

Instead of returning to my chamber to secure a few hours' rest, I went
out into the dimly lighted street, and, striking a smart pace, arrived
in a few moments at the house of my old friend, Peter Van Schaick, now
Colonel in command of the garrison. The house was pitch-dark, and it
was only after repeated rapping that the racket of the big bronze
knocker aroused an ancient negro servant, who poked his woolly pate
from the barred side-lights and informed me, in a quavering voice, that
Colonel Van Schaick was not at home, refusing all further information
concerning him.

"Joshua! Joshua!" I said gently; "don't you know me?"

There was a silence, then a trembling: "Mars' Renault, suh, is dat
you?"

"It is I, Joshua, back again after four years. Tell me where I may find
your master?"

"Mars' Carus, suh, de Kunnel done gone to de Foht, suh--Foht Orange on
de hill."

The old slave used the ancient name of the fort, but I understood.

"Does anybody live here now except the Colonel, Joshua?"

"No, suh, nobody 'cep' de Kunnel--'scusin' me, Mars' Carus."

"Joshua," I said, under my breath, "you know all the gossip of the
country. Tell me, do you remember a young gentleman who used to come
here before the war--a handsome, dark-eyed gentleman--Lieutenant Walter
N. Butler?"

There was an interval of silence.

"Wuz de ossifer a-sparkin' de young misses at Gin'ral Schuyler's?"

"Yes, Joshua."

"A-co'tin' Miss Betty, suh?"

"Yes, yes. Colonel Hamilton married her. That is the man, Joshua. Tell
me, did you ever hear of Mr. Butler's marriage in Butlersbury?"

A longer silence, then: "No, suh. Hit wuz de talk ob de town dat Suh
John Johnsing done tuk Miss Polly Watts foh his lady-wife, an' all de
time po'l'l Miss Claire wuz a-settin' in Foht Johnsing, dess a-cryin'
her eyes out. But Mars' Butler he done tuk an' run off 'long o' dat
half-caste lady de ossifers call Carolyn Montour----"

"What!"

"Yaas, suh. Dat de way Mars' Butler done carry on, suh. He done
skedaddle 'long o' M'ss Carolyn. Hit wuz a Mohawk weddin', Mars'
Carus."

"He never married her?"

"Mars' Butler he