aid vigorously enough; still,
with Alice's love-song ringing in his heart, there was a cord pulling
him back from duty to the sweetest of all life's joys.

Helm was already at the landing, where a little fleet of boats was
being prepared. A thousand things had to be done in short order. All
hands were stimulated to highest exertion with the thought of another
fight. Swivels were mounted in boats, ammunition and provisions stored
abundantly, flags hoisted and oars dipped. Never was an expedition of
so great importance more swiftly organized and set in motion, nor did
one ever have a more prosperous voyage or completer triumph. Philip
Dejean, Justice of Detroit, with his men, boats and rich cargo, was
captured easily, with not a shot fired, nor a drop of blood spilled in
doing it.

If Alice could have known all this before it happened, she would
probably have saved herself from the mortification of a rebuke
administered very kindly, but not the less thoroughly, by Colonel Clark.

The rumor came to her--a brilliant creole rumor, duly inflated--that an
overwhelming British force was descending the river, and that Beverley
with a few men, not sufficient to base the expedition on a respectable
forlorn hope, would be sent to meet them. Her nature, as was its wont,
flared into high indignation. What right had Colonel Clark to send her
lover away to be killed just at the time when he was all the whole
world to her? Nothing could be more outrageous. She would not suffer it
to be done; not she!

Colonel Clark greeted her pleasantly, when she came somewhat abruptly
to him, where he was directing a squad of men at work making some
repairs in the picketing of the fort. He did not observe her excitement
until she began to speak, and then it was noticeable only, and not very
strongly, in her tone. She forgot to speak English, and her French was
Greek to him.

"I am glad to see you, Mademoiselle," he said, rather inconsequently,
lifting his hat and bowing with rough grace, while he extended his
right hand cordially. "You have something to say to me? Come with me to
my office."

She barely touched his fingers.

"Yes, I have something to say to you. I can tell it here," she said,
speaking English now with softest Creole accent. "I wanted--I came
to--" It was not so easy as she had imagined it would be to utter what
she had in mind. Clark's steadfast, inscrutable eyes, kindly yet not
altogether sympathetic, met her own and beat t