her under arrest a few short
weeks before and then had seen him shot through the heart by this same
officer whose name was on the pass looked at the questioner with an ugly
glitter in his eyes. He was beginning to taste already the sweets of
revenge. For blood ties bind, no matter how badly they are stretched,
and long ago Corporal Dudley had sworn to wipe out his grudge.

"Why, man, can't you see?" he whispered excitedly. "This Johnnie Reb is
the man that was hiding in the cabin loft this morning. Morrison lied
when he said he wasn't there--you remember, he was the only one who
looked--he lied and as soon as he got us out of the way he let him come
down and he gave him _this_. Could any man ask for better proof that we
had the spy right in our hands and then our commanding officer
deliberately let him go?"

At the sound of the man's excited whispering Cary's fears as to the
value of Virgie's pass grew too strong to warrant this agony of watching
and waiting, and he stepped forward with a sharp question:

"Well, Corporal, isn't the pass satisfactory?"

"Oh, perfectly--perfectly," Dudley answered with baleful readiness, but
made no move to return it.

Cary put out his hand. "Then I would like to have it again, if you
please."

By way of answer Corporal Dudley carefully found an inside pocket and
buttoned the pass up in his coat. "Oh, no, you don't," he said, with an
evil grin. "I've got a better use for that little piece of paper."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're my prisoner, Mister Johnnie Reb," was the brutal
answer.

"For what?" asked Cary, while his heart grew sick inside him and his
lips twitched. Richmond--and food for Virgie were growing farther away
every moment.

"Because you're a Rebel _spy_, that's why," came the biting answer.

"Oh--none of that," as Cary's fists doubled up and he made a forward
step at the Corporal. "I guess you know what's good for you, with three
guns at your back. If Colonel Morrison wouldn't take you as a spy, _I
will!_"

"Here, boys," he said in brusque command to his men, "we'll have to cut
the supper and take this man to camp. There'll be a sunrise hanging
to-morrow or I miss my guess. Come on, now. Bring him along."

"Wait a minute, Corporal," O'Connell said. "Sure I've something to say
to ye," and he led him aside where the others could not bear.

All unconscious of the fatal predicament into which Susan Jemima and
she had got them Virgie looked up at her