mill-house, for such the building
proved to be, without further hesitation. Nor was Major Morris far
behind him.

As they came closer they saw that the structure was dark, saving for a
faint light that came from one of the rooms built over the mill
stream. It was in this room, evidently, that some sort of struggle was
going on, for now both heard the cry for help repeated, followed by
the overturning of a table. Then came the voices of two men, and the
cry came to a sudden end.

"Two men are misusing some woman," cried Ben, "come on!" and rushing
around to the front of the building, he found the rickety stairs
leading to the house floor, and bounded upward. The door at the top
stood ajar and he pushed it in, with Major Morris at his heels. The
room at hand was dark, the struggle was going on in the apartment next
to it.

Ben paused long enough to see that his pistol had not sustained any
injury in the tumble into the hole, and was ready for use, and then
threw open the door before him.

The light in the room was not very bright, but coming out of the
darkness Ben could see but little, for a few seconds. The room was
thick with the smoke of cigarettes, and through the haze the young
captain made out two men standing beside an overturned table, one with
a knife in his hand. To his intense surprise the men were Americans
and dressed in the uniforms of regulars.

"What does this mean?" he demanded. "What are you--"

And then Ben got no further, for a swift look around the room told him
that the two men were alone--that the woman he had heard crying for
help was not there.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE ADVENTURE AT THE MILL-HOUSE

For the moment it must be confessed that Ben was absolutely
dumfounded, and Major Morris also. They had fully expected to see a
woman in the hands of the regulars before them, and they could
scarcely believe the evidence of their own senses.

But if the officers were astonished, the men they confronted were
likewise taken back, and stared in amazement, which quickly gave way
to consternation.

"What do you want?" demanded one, as soon as he could speak. And then
he glanced over their shoulders to see if the newcomers were alone.

"We thought we heard a woman in trouble," answered Ben, slowly.

"And we did hear a woman," put in the major. "Where is she?"

The two regulars exchanged unsteady glances, for each was somewhat the
worse for liquor. "There ain't no woman here," answered o