h,
grass blade and weed in the vicinity. The Nurses had been asked to join
the search for a little while, and fortune gave to Agatha the first
important discovery.

"Here!" she cried, "I have a trace!" She had plucked from a thistle
stalk a bit of gossamer.

"I too!" cried Pipe, holding up a similar object.

"And I!" said Grace, who was in advance of the party.

"Stop!" exclaimed True. "Stand where you are until I get the line of the
trail."

Agatha stood nearest the tent. Pipe was beyond her and a little to the
right. Grace stood some distance from both in a direct line with Agatha.

[Illustration: FIG. 51.--"From a Thistle Stalk a Bit of Gossamer."]

"That will do," said True, glancing up at the North Star. "The line runs
due north, and straight from the rear of the camp. Start again while I
make some inquiries of the Adjutant. Blythe, a word with you. Who was on
guard over there, to the north?"

"No one."

"Impossible! Blythe, you couldn't--"

"Stop!" exclaimed Blythe, his voice choking with emotion. "The Captain
bade it. And Rodney, and Pipe,--and myself, alas, alas! we all
councilled it. The men were weary. A strong picket line entirely
surrounded the fort. They were picked men with MacWhirlie at their head.
We knew that no force of the enemy lay in our rear. No one dreamed of
danger from that quarter."

"Say no more," said True. "Regrets are useless now. I see how it is. A
party of stragglers or spies has stolen in here while we slept. Faith
and Sophia have been surprised while alone in the tent."

"But what motive?--" began Blythe. A shout from the searchers
interrupted him. It was Pipe's voice.

"We have struck the trail again!"

"Who has it?"

"Howard there, and myself."

"Steady! let me see. Here are our first traces, where those three
lanterns hang. Hold up your lights to the points where you found the
last signs. That will do. There, do you see? Two of the first lanterns
are in line with Howard's light, the other in line with Pipe's. And the
two lines are nearly parallel, showing the paths by which the two maids
were borne away. We are on the trail. Due north still! Forward, once
more!"

[Illustration: FIG. 52.--"A Bit of Gossamer."]

Step by step the trail was followed by threads caught here and there
upon leaves and branches. It continued to bear northward for a goodly
distance, then turned westward as though the fugitives were making
gradually toward the fort. There it was lost fo