t, perhaps, that's not true.
You may find some one who can tell you more about him. Inquire of all
you meet: and, Stephen, in my name, beg your comrades to aid you.
Remember," added Mildred, with a smile, "this is a lady's secret. I am
sure you will keep it."

"Most sacrilegiously and with all possible punctuation!" replied the
woodsman. "And you shall hear of the Major, Miss Mildred, dead or
alive."

"Oh heaven!" exclaimed Mildred aloud; and then recollecting herself, she
breathed in a whisper, "that word vibrated a note of fear. Your zeal
shall have my warmest gratitude, Stephen."

By this time the party had reached the second ford, where the road
recrossed the river, in the neighborhood of Mrs. Dimock's, and in a few
moments they were at the door of the little inn.

A brief halt, and a few words with the good hostess, furnished Mildred
neither with a letter nor with any information of moment from the
quarter, where at this time the thoughts of nearly the whole of the
American people were turned.

"Woful days, Miss Mildred," said the landlady, shaking her head, and
wearing a face of lugubrious length, "woful indeed! nothing but
hurry-skurry, and bragging and swearing. What with Gates's runaways,
that--shame upon them!--come whipping post haste along the road; and
messengers, dragoons, and drill sergeants, all out of breath, out of
money, and out of everything but appetites; which, mercy on me! never
fail in the worst of times: and what with musterings of volunteers, and
drumming and fifing of it, up hill and down dale, it is as much as one
can do to keep one's wits. Heaven help us, my dear! I don't know what we
shall come to. But poor Arthur," she continued, in a mournful and lower
key, "not a word from him. It looks awfully: I could almost sit down and
weep. Nevertheless, Miss Mildred, my child, be of good cheer, God will
keep his foot from the path that leads to the snares; we must all trust
in His goodness."

"Alas, alas!" breathed Mildred, in an accent of sorrow. "Brother, ride
forward. If a good word reaches you, Mistress Dimock, send it to me,
even if it be at midnight."

Mildred pursued her ride, and Henry, seeing how much she was dejected,
applied himself, with the kindest assiduity, to bring back comfort and
cheerfulness to her mind. He sought to amuse her with such fragments of
the gossip of the country-side as were likely to interest her
patriotism; and he contrived to recall to her recollection pa