d the former, thickly. "I have
an engagement this evening."

In an instant Baker was at my side. We had not met before since he was
wearing the gray at the Point.

"For God's sake, don't let him follow me,--but _you_,--come if you
possibly can. I'll slip off into the willows up-stream as soon as I can
do so without his seeing."

I signalled Blake to join us, and presently he sauntered over our way,
Gleason meantime admonishing his camp cook that he expected to have the
very best hot supper for himself and his friend, Lieutenant Baker, ready
in twenty minutes,--twenty minutes, for they had an important
engagement, an _affaire de coor_, by Jove!

"You fellows know something of this matter," said Baker, hurriedly; "but
I cannot begin to tell you how troubled I am. Something is wrong with
_her_. She has not met me once this week, and the house is still as a
grave. I must see her. She is either ill or imprisoned by her people, or
carried away. God only knows why that hound Burnham forbids me the
house. I cannot see him. I've never seen his wife. The door is barred
against me and I cannot force an entrance. For a while she was able to
slip out late in the evening and meet me down the hill-side, but they
must have detected her in some way. I do not even know that she is
there, but to-night I _mean_ to know. If she is within those walls--and
alive--she will answer my signal. But for heaven's sake keep that
drunken wretch from going over there. He's bent on it. The major gave
me leave again for to-night, provided I would see Gleason safely to your
camp, and he has been maundering all the way out about how _he_ knew
more'n I did,--he and Potts, who's half-drunk too,--and how he meant to
see me through in this matter."

"Well, here," said Blake, "there's only one thing to be done. You two
slip away at once; get your horses, and ford the Sandy well below camp.
I'll try and keep him occupied."

In three minutes we were off, leading our steeds until a hundred yards
or so away from the fires, then mounting and moving at rapid walk.
Following Baker's lead, I rode along, wondering what manner of adventure
this was apt to be. I expected him to make an early crossing of the
stream, but he did not. "The only fords I know," said he, "are down
below Starlight," and so it happened that we made a wide _detour_; but
during that dark ride he told me frankly how matters stood. Zoe Burnham
had promised to be his wife, and had fully returned