"'Tonio was right in saying we were cut off,
isolated here, and if he hadn't slipped away in that mysterious fashion
I'd rather take his word than--than Willett's impressions. Where has
Willett been--all morning--anyhow? He never came near me!"

Everybody within earshot knew, and nobody answered. Archer looked
queerly about him. Bonner and Briggs gazed fixedly through their
glasses. Bucketts was absorbed in the adjustment of his. The doctor
said he must go over and give Harris a rebuke for getting up, and
started forthwith, and Archer, without further question, turned again
to his survey. He was of the old army--and knew the signs.

For a moment every living object up the valley seemed to be shut from
view. Bonner, by way of changing the subject, had so far "white-lied"
as to exclaim "There they are again!--er--no," but the ruse was
unnecessary; Archer understood. Almost at the moment, however, came a
sound from the open windows of the matron's room, adjoining the
hospital, against which all present would willingly have closed their
ears--the prolonged, heart-breaking, moaning cry of a woman robbed of
all she held dearest--poor Mrs. Bennett waking once more to her direful
sorrows, and filling the air with her hopeless wail. For a moment it
dominated all other sound. "For heaven's sake, doctor," cried Archer to
the assistant, "can't you and Bentley devise something to still that
poor creature? Has she lost her mind, too?"

"Sounds like it, sir. There's only one thing that will bring it
back--that's those babies."

"If anybody can get 'em it will be Stannard," answered the general
prayerfully. "This, whatever it is, up the valley may be news from him
and of them! God grant it!"

"Look!" cried Bonner at the instant. "I see Willett! See him?--galloping
up that---- Why, hell and blazes--I beg your pardon, general--he's 'way
out beyond Strong's people! See 'em--down there by the willows? Where
in---- Gad! d'ye see that? Why, his horse jumped and shied as if he'd----
Look! He's running away! He's gone!"

Gone he had. Not once again, before the going down of the sun, now just
tangent to the western heights, did they catch sight of Willett or
Willett's horse. One after another the watchers again found Strong
within the field of vision and followed him down to and across the
stream, and others of the mounted party were seen, some wearily
following their officer, others moving about a point among the willows
where last had