r Butler. Ah, sir, I was certain of it--I knew it, Colonel
Hamilton. You make me very, very happy. Pray you, inform his Excellency
of my deep gratitude. He has chosen fire to fight fire, I think. Every
thought, every nerve in me is directed to the ruin of this man. Waking,
sleeping, in sickness, in health, in adversity, in prosperity, soul and
body and mind are bent on his undoing. I shall speak to the Oneidas
with clan authority; I shall speak to the Iroquois at Thendara; I shall
listen to the long roll of the dead; I shall read the record of ages
from the sacred belts. The eyes of the forest shall see for me; the
ears of the wilderness listen for me; every tree shall whisper for me,
every leaf spy for me; and the voices of a thousand streams shall guide
me, and the eight winds shall counsel me, and the stars stretch out
their beams for me, pointing the way, so that this man shall die and
his wickedness be ended forever."

I held out my hand and took the written order in silence, reading it at
a glance.

"It shall be done, Colonel Hamilton. When am I to leave?"

"Now. The schooner starts when you set foot aboard, Mr. Renault."

And, after a moment: "Madam goes with you?"

"To West Point."

"I trust that she finds some few comforts aboard the _Wind-Flower_. I
could not fill all the list, Mr. Renault; but a needle will do much, and
the French fabrics are pretty----"

He looked at me, smiling: "For you, sir, there are shirts and stockings
and a forest dress of deerskin."

"A rifle, too?"

"The best to be had, and approved by Jack Mount. Murphy himself has
sighted it. Have I done well?"

"Yes," said I grimly, and, opening the door of the kitchen, bade the
landlord have our horses saddled and brought around, and asked him to
send a servant to warn Elsin that we must leave within the quarter.

Presently I heard our horses at the block, stamping the sod, and a
moment later Elsin came, eager, radiant, sweetly receiving Colonel
Hamilton when I named him. He saluted her hand profoundly; then, as it
still rested lightly on his fingers, he turned to me, almost bluntly:
"Never, Mr. Renault, can we officers forgive you for denying us this
privilege. I have heard, sir, that Mrs. Renault was beautiful and
amiable; I never dreamed that such loveliness could be within our
lines. One day you shall make amends for this selfishness to every lady
and every officer on the Hudson."

At the word which named her as my wife her fa