disappeared from the office of the Secretary of
the Navy. Alarm spread through all the departments of the Confederacy.
Some one, spy and burglar too, had come into the very capital, and he was
having uncommon success.

Harry had not the least doubt that it was Shepard, and he was filled with
an ambition to capture this man, whom he really liked. If Shepard were
caught he would certainly be hanged, but then a spy must take his chances.

They heard meanwhile that General Lee had gone to a former camp of his on
the Opequan, but that later in response to maneuvers by General Meade,
he moved to a position near Front Royal. No orders came for Harry or
Dalton to rejoin him, and, as a period of inactivity seemed to be at hand,
they were glad to remain a while longer in Richmond. They still stayed
with the Lanhams, who refused to take any pay, although the two young
officers, chipping together, bought for Mrs. Lanham a little watch which
had just come through the blockade from England.

Thus their days lengthened in Richmond, and, despite the shadow of the
spy and his doings which was over Harry, they were still very pleasant.
The members of the Mosaic Club, although older men, made much of them,
and Harry and Dalton, being youths of sprighty wit, were able to hold
their own in such company. The time had now passed into August, and they
sat one afternoon in the lobby of the big hotel with their new friends.
Richmond without was quiet and blazing in the sun. Harry had received a
second letter from his father from an unnamed point in Georgia. It did
not contain much news, but it was full of cheerfulness, and it intimated
in more than one place that Bragg's army was going to strike a great blow.

All eyes were turned toward the West. The opinion had been spreading in
the Confederacy that the chief danger was on that line. It seemed that
the Army of Northern Virginia could take care of anything to the north
and east, but in the south and west affairs did not go well.

"It's a pity that General Bragg is President Davis' brother-in-law,"
said Randolph.

"Why?" asked Daniel.

"Then he wouldn't be in command of our Western Army."

"Bragg's a fighter, though."

"But not a reaper."

"What do you mean?"

"He wins the victory, but lets the enemy take it."

"It may be so. But to come closer home, what about the Yankee spy in
Richmond? It's an established fact that a man of most uncommon daring
and skill is here."