n having you looked for in every
nook and corner of the fort and town. You'd better report at once, or
hell be having us drag the river for your body."

"All right, Lieutenant, go back and keep mum, that's a dear boy, and
I'll shuffle into Colonel Hamilton's august presence before many
minutes."

The aide laughed and went his way whistling a merry tune.

"Now I am sure to get what I deserve, with usury at forty per cent in
advance," said Farnsworth dryly, shrugging his shoulders with
undissembled dread of Hamilton's wrath. But the anticipation was not
realized. The Governor received Farnsworth stiffly enough, yet in a way
that suggested a suppressed desire to avoid explanations on the
Captain's part and a reprimand on his own. In fact, Hamilton was hoping
that something would turn up to shield him from the effect of his
terrible midnight adventure, which seemed the darker the more he
thought of it. He had a slow, numb conscience, lying deep where it was
hard to reach, and when a qualm somehow entered it he endured in secret
what most men would have cast off or confessed. He was haunted, if not
with remorse, at least by a dread of something most disagreeable in
connection with what he had done. Alice's white face had impressed
itself indelibly on his memory, so that it met his inner vision at
every turn. He was afraid to converse with Farnsworth lest she should
come up for discussion; consequently their interview was curt and
formal.

It was soon discovered that Alice had escaped from the stockade, and
some show of search was made for her by Hamilton's order, but
Farnsworth looked to it that the order was not carried out. He thought
he saw at once that his chief knew where she was. The mystery perplexed
and pained the young man, and caused him to fear all sorts of evil; but
there was a chance that Alice had found a safe retreat and he knew that
nothing but ill could befall her if she were discovered and brought
back to the fort. Therefore his search for her became his own secret
and for his own heart's ease. And doubtless he would have found her;
for even handicapped and distorted love like his is lynx-eyed and sure
on the track of its object; but a great event intervened and swept away
his opportunity.

Hamilton's uneasiness, which was that of a strong, misguided nature
trying to justify itself amid a confusion of unmanageable doubts and
misgivings, now vented itself in a resumption of the repairs he had
been mak