place in the vast
machine which weaved cloths of more sober fabric. Then he thought of
the map which he had taken from the chest and put into his pocket.
That, too, was a part of this dream. It was fitting that in such an
atmosphere as this there should be hidden gold and jewels; fitting,
too, that this new self of his should be in search of them. But if
only he could reach her, if only he could have her fairly within his
arms, he would give this up to others who had more need of it. She had
said that if ever she were in need of him, she would call and he would
come to her. That seemed like an idle phrase at the time, and yet it
had come true. She had called and he was now on his way to give her
aid. He could not imagine her in the dungeon.

At the end of two hours, a rifle shot spat through the dark branches
by the roadside. Then silence--a silence so unbroken that it seemed in
a minute as though the noise had never been. Then Otaballo rode up at
a gallop and gave a few orders. His men, who led the forces, divided
silently and disappeared each side of the road into the dark timber.
Then for another half hour the remainder of the men marched on as
before. The sky began to brighten in the east. A grayish pink stole
from the horizon line and grew ever brighter and brighter as though a
breeze were blowing into the embers of an ash-covered fire. The pink
grew to crimson and with it the shadows sought their deeper haunts. As
the first real beams of the sun shot above the distant hills the
angular jumble of distant roof-tops became silhouetted against the
clear, blue sky.

A messenger came galloping down the road with orders for Danbury.

"You are to enter by the East Road. Follow your guide."

The sputtering report of distant rifles came to their ears.

"But, see here," protested Danbury, "the fighting is straight ahead."

"Take your orders," advised Wilson. "There will be enough of that to
go around, I guess."

The rattle directly ahead acted like wine upon Danbury. Wilson heard
him shout.

"All right, men. Let's take it at double-quick."

But the men could not stand the pace he cut out and so he was forced
to fall back to stubborn marching. Their path swung to the right, and
past many straggling houses where the good housewives were just up
and kindling their fires, with no inkling of what was about. To them
nothing was ahead but the meagre routine of another day. Occasionally
they caught a glimpse of the passi