would worry
about him, but nothing mattered so much as the solving of the doubt that
was causing his heart and brain to throb.

Strangely enough, his lameness decreased as his excitement waxed
greater, or it seemed to, and he considered it less. The birds stopped
twittering their vesper songs, and huddled fearfully in their shelters.
A peal of thunder was followed quickly by another. The rocks took up the
echo and prolonged the sound. Between, the flashes of lightning, the
darkness could almost be felt, so tangible and dense it seemed. Once
Andy fell and struck his head. The blow made him giddy, but the rain
dashing in his face steadied him, and he plodded on. Then a glare in the
distance attracted him. It was in the direction toward which he was
going.

"A fire!" he muttered. "All the more reason for hoping they will not
notice me." The town might burn, what matter, if only the way were free
to the Beekman place.

It was still dark when he reached his destination, worn and haggard.
Over toward the greenhouse people were stirring about, and Andy rightly
guessed that the prisoner, whoever he might be, was there. No luckier
place could have been chosen, so far as Andy was concerned. It was
surrounded by shrubbery through which he could creep right up to the
building, providing, of course, that the sentinels did not see him. But
the sentinels were relaxing their watch. The hours of the troublesome
spy were nearly ended, and there could be little danger of any further
trouble on his account.

Andy crept along, keeping to the bushes. The storm was nearly over, and
no lightning could betray his motions now.

Once the glass house was reached, Andy looked eagerly in. There was a
pile of rubbish in one corner, and a man was sitting upon a rude bench
near it; between him and Andy, however, were two men with their backs to
the boy, and they quite hid the face of the man upon the bench. The two
were listening, and the third man was speaking. Andy was too far away to
hear, but, gaining courage, he crept around to the other side of the
house, and so came close to the group within. Something in the attitude
of the man upon the bench had caused the boy's heart to leap madly, then
almost stop. He raised his eyes slowly--one look was enough!

Sorrow and ill-treatment had done their work, but the dear face was the
same! Dauntless, undying courage shone upon the uplifted face.

It was the master! The errand, whatever it had been,