ly:

"Of course you trust your post-rider?"

"Absolutely."

The Special Messenger swung her foot absently to and fro, and presently
opened another letter:

Dear Mr. Deal:

I am sending you twenty more peach pits for planting. What you
write me about the bees is satisfactory. I have received the
bees you sent. There is no reason why you should not make the
exchange with Mr. Enderly, as it will benefit our hives as well
as Mr. Enderly's to cross his Golden Indias with my Blacks.

The Messenger studied the letter thoughtfully; askance, the officer
watched the delicate play of expression on her absorbed young face,
perhaps a trifle incredulous that so distractingly pretty a woman could
be quite as intelligent as people believed.

She looked up at him quietly.

"So you gave Deal permission to send some bees to Miss Carryl and write
her a letter?"

"Once. I had the letter brought to me and I sent her a copy. Here it
is--the original."

He produced Deal's letter from the dispatch pouch, and the Messenger
read:

Miss Evelyn Carryl,
Osage Court House.

Respected Miss:

I send you the bees. I seen Mr. Enderly at Sandy River he says
he is very wishful for to swap bees to cross the breed I says it
shorely can be done if you say so I got the pits and am studyin'
how to plant. The fruit is a rottin' can't the Yankees at Osage
buy some truck nohow off'n me? So no more with respect from

John Deal
Supt.

"That seems rather harmless, doesn't it?" asked the Colonel wearily.

"I don't--know. I _think_ I'll take a look at John Deal's beehives."

"His _beehives_!"

"Yes."

"What for?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know--exactly. I was always fond of bees. They're so
useful"--she looked up artlessly--"so clever--quite wonderful, Colonel.
Have you ever read anything about bees--how they live and conduct
themselves?"

The Colonel eyed her narrowly; she laughed, sprang up from the military
chest, and handed back his letters.

"You have already formed your theory?" he inquired with a faintly
patronizing air, under which keen disappointment betrayed itself where
the grim, drooping mouth tightened.

"Yes, I have. There's a link missing, but--I may find that before night.
You can give me--_how_ long?"

"The Bucktails leave at nine. See he