ign to Mrs. MacLeod that she may go," said that officer, "but not for
long. Shake your head,--seem doubtful. Then take your hat and wave it
to the Cherokee wench, as if you relent for her sake!"

"Oh, sir,--I can't," exclaimed the young soldier even while he obeyed,
expressing the revolt in his mind against the action of his muscles.

"It's mighty hard to kape the girls away from ye, but we will lend ye a
stick nex' time," said Corporal O'Flynn, in scornful ridicule of his
reluctance, not aware of the imputation of colloguing with the enemy to
which the long-range flirtation with Choo-qualee-qualoo had seemed to
expose him in Captain Stuart's mind.

Captain Stuart had placed in a loop-hole the muzzle of a firelock, which
he sighted himself. O'Flynn leveled another, both men being of course
invisible from without; as the young sentinel obeyed the order to openly
lounge in the window and look toward Choo-qualee-qualoo he could see
within the parapet that the gunners of the battery were standing to
their shotted pieces, Captain Demere, himself, in command. With this
provision against capture, or for revenge, one might fear, rather than
protection, Odalie took her way down the steep slope amongst the
impeding stakes of the fraises, thickly sown, and looking, it might
seem, like dragons' teeth in process of sprouting. More than once she
paused and glanced up at the sentinel leaning in the window with his
firelock and entreated by signs his forbearance, which he seemed to
accord qualified, doubtful, and limited. She soon crossed the ditch, the
glacis, so swift she was, so sure and free of step, and paused in the
open space beyond; then Choo-qualee-qualoo, too, began to advance.
Better protected was the Cherokee girl, for she carried in her hand, and
now and again waved, laughingly, as if for jest, a white flag, a length
of fluttering cambric and lace.

"By the howly poker!" exclaimed Corporal O'Flynn, beneath his breath,
"that is the cravat of a man of quality,--some British officer of rank,
belike."

He glanced with anxiety at Captain Stuart, whose every faculty seemed
concentrated on the matter in hand.

"The Cherokees know that a white flag is a sign which we respect, and
that that squaw is as safe with it as if she were the commandant of the
post. I only wish Mrs. MacLeod could have a like security." This
aspiration had the effect of fastening O'Flynn's eye and mind to the
sighting of his firelock and obliterating h