it mean?

"Keep yourself in hand, Miss Vidal, whatever you do," said Wyndham
concernedly, as he noted how ashy pale the beautiful face had grown.
"I'll find out about this."

In a very short time the whole troop had mustered. The men were in high
spirits. They had driven the enemy before them for miles, they
reported, and had made still greater holes in their numbers. They had
broken up that impi most effectually, and taught the rebels a lesson
they wouldn't forget for a long day to come. Lamont? Oh, he had last
been seen away on the right flank with about a dozen men riding down the
enemy for all they were worth. The mist was rather thick up where they
were, which was at the foot of a range of low hills. He'd turn up
directly, they held. Turn up! Rather! Of course he would, and report
a record bag, too. Lamont was an old campaigner and a knowing one.
There need be no anxiety about him. And then all hands, having attended
to their horses, turned to and assailed their well-earned refreshment
with a whole-heartedness that left nothing to be desired.

"There need be no anxiety about him." Thus the cheerful dictum! Need
there not? But to one there, at any rate, `anxiety about him' turned to
something like anguish, as the morning wore on, and still he did not
appear. It needed all of Clare Vidal's splendid pluck and self-command
to conceal her terrible anxiety. To those nearest to her, she could no
longer keep her secret by reason of it; no longer, indeed, did she care
to.

"Oh, it'll be all right, Clare," said Fullerton, cheerfully and
good-naturedly, when appealed to. "You've seen what Lamont's made of,
and you bet he won't enjoy being fussed after by women when he's got a
bit of sharpish work in hand." In despair she turned to Wyndham.

"Do help me," she pleaded. "If you won't I'll go alone. Get some of
the men who last saw him--them--and make a thorough search. Who knows
what may have happened. I will go with you. I can borrow Mrs
Grunberger's side-saddle."

"I'll do what I can, Miss Vidal, but only on condition that you remain
here."

"But--I can't. I can't."

"But you must," he answered firmly. "Just think. You'd be far more of
a hindrance than a help. And we can't do with hindrances."

She gave way, and Wyndham set to work to organise a search or a relief,
as the case might be. There was no lack of volunteers. The troop was
mustered, and it was found that besides Lamont there