ere is anything visible down there among the rocks. He may have been
hit and leaped the wall.--Do you think you hit him, Leary?"

"I can't say, sor. He came by me like a flash. I had just a second's
look at him, and--Sure I niver saw such runnin'."

"Could you see his face?" asked Chester, in a low tone, as the other men
moved away to search the rocks.

"Not his face, sor. 'Twas too dark."

"Was there--did he look like anybody you knew, or had seen?--anybody in
the command?"

"Well, sor, not among the men, that is. There's none so tall and slim
both, and so light. Sure he must 'a' worn gums, sor. You couldn't hear
the whisper of a footfall."

"But whom did he _seem_ to resemble?"

"Well, if the captain will forgive me, sor, it's unwillin' I am to say
the worrd, but there's no one that tall and light and slim here, sor,
but Loot'nant Jerrold. Sure it couldn't be him, sor."

"Leary, will you promise me something on your word as a man?"

"I will, sor."

"Say not one word of this matter to any one, except I tell you, or you
have to, before a court."

"I promise, sor."

"And I believe you. Tell the sergeant I will soon be back."

With that he turned and walked down the road until once more he came to
the plank crossing and the passage-way between the colonel's and
Bachelors' Row. Here again he stopped short, and waited with bated
breath and scarcely-beating heart. The faint light he had seen before
again illumined the room and cast its gleam upon the old gray wall. Even
as he gazed, there came silently to the window a tall, white-robed form,
and a slender white hand seized and lowered the shade, noiselessly.
Then, as before, the light faded away; but--she was awake.

Waiting one moment in silence, Captain Chester then sprang up the wooden
steps and passed under the piazza which ran the length of the bachelor
quarters. Half-way down the row he turned sharply to his left, opened
the green-painted door, and stood in a little dark hall-way. Taking his
match-box from his pocket, he struck a light, and by its glare quickly
read the card upon the first door-way to his right:

"MR. HOWARD F. JERROLD,

"----_th Infantry, U.S.A._"

Opening this door, he bolted straight through the little parlor to the
bedroom in the rear. A dim light was burning on the mantel. The bed was
unruffled, untouched, and Mr. Jerrold was not there.

Five minutes afterwards, Captai