intained his place near one of the front windows,
close to the door, suddenly called:

"Come here a moment, Sterry."

The young man stepped hastily across the room.

"You have everything clear in your mind?" was the question which
struck the young man as slightly inopportune.

"Yes; as clear as I can have; why do you ask?"

"I wanted to be certain, for your task is a delicate one; we will
hold the door ajar a little while after you go, so that if anything
happens, such as their recognizing you, you will be able to dash back.
You know it won't do for you to be identified."

"I understand," replied Sterry, who felt that he ought to be at his
post.

He hastily stepped back, and as he did so was surprised to find the
door drawn open several inches.

"What does that mean?" he asked of the several gathered around in the
darkness, whose faces he could not see.

"Why," replied Hawkridge, "what does it mean, indeed? I thought you
passed out just now."

"You see I did not. Why do you make such a remark?"

"Some one went out," was the amazing declaration.

CHAPTER XXX.

THE MISSING ONE.

Monteith Sterry was astounded by the declaration of Dick Hawkridge
that some one had passed through the rear door while he was talking
with Capt. Asbury.

"Who was it?" demanded he.

"I told you we thought it was you," replied his friend.

"But you know it wasn't," he replied, impatiently.

"Then I have no idea who it was."

"Some one has taken advantage of the moment I spent with the
captain--I wonder if he had anything to do with it," he added, growing
unjustly suspicious in his resentment.

He strode across the room; and, knowing where the leader was,
demanded:

"What is the meaning of this, Capt. Asbury?"

"The meaning of what?"

"While I was talking a few seconds with you some person slipped out of
the back door; do you know anything of it?"

"It is beyond my comprehension," replied the leader in a voice which
removed all distrust of him.

And forgetful, in his excitement, of his duty at the front, he stepped
hastily to the rear, where most of the men had crowded, despite the
orders for them to maintain a strict watch.

"I heard you and the captain speaking," said Hawkridge, in
explanation, "but your voices were so low that I would not have
identified them anywhere. Supposing you to be where you really were,
I stepped to the rear window here and peered out in the gloom where I
knew the stable to be