babe of my affairs, and I'm terribly busy and have no time to talk to
you. Oscar, that coffee scalded me. Claiborne, if only I had time, you
know, but under existing circumstances--"

"I repeat that I'm going with you. I don't know why I'm in this row, and
I don't know what it's all about, but I believe what you say about it;
and I want you to understand that I can't be put in a bag like a prize
potato without taking a whack at the man who put me there."

"But if you should get hurt, Claiborne, it would spoil my plans. I never
could face your family again," said Armitage earnestly. "Take your horse
and go."

"I'm going back to the valley when you do."

"Humph! Drink your coffee! Oscar, bring out the rest of the artillery and
give Captain Claiborne his choice."

He picked up his sword again, flung the blade from the scabbard with a
swish, and cut the air with it, humming a few bars of a German
drinking-song. Then he broke out with:

"I do not think a braver gentleman,
More active-valiant or more valiant-young,
More daring or more bold, is now alive
To grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame,
I have a truant been to chivalry;--

"Lord, Claiborne, you don't know what's ahead of us! It's the greatest
thing that ever happened. I never expected anything like this--not on my
cheerfulest days. Dearest Jules is out looking for a telegraph office to
pull off the Austrian end of the rumpus. Well, little good it will do
him! And we'll catch him and Durand and that Servian devil and lock them
up here till Marhof decides what to do with him. We're off!"

"All ready, sir;" said Oscar briskly.

"It's half-past two. They didn't get off their message at Lamar, because
the office is closed and the operator gone, and they will keep out of the
valley and away from the big inn, because they are rather worried by this
time and not anxious to get too near Marhof. They've probably decided to
go to the next station below Lamar to do their telegraphing. Meanwhile
they haven't got me!"

"They had me and didn't want me," said Claiborne, mounting his own horse.

"They'll have a good many things they don't want in the next twenty-four
hours. If I hadn't enjoyed this business so much myself we might have had
some secret service men posted all along the coast to keep a lookout
for them. But it's been a great old lark. And now to catch them!"

Outside the preserve they paused for an instant.

"