e say anything?--did he speak?"

"He dropped down on his knees beside him, and caught him by the hand,
and cried out, 'George, my own dear fellow,--George, speak to me;' but
George never spoke another word."

"And Davis,--Captain Davis,--what did he do?"

"He shook hands with Jones, and said something in French that made him
laugh; and then going over to where the body lay, he said, 'Colonel
Humphrey,' says he, 'you 're a witness that all was fair and honorable,
and that if this unhappy affair ever comes to be--' and then the Colonel
moved his hand for him to be off, and not speak to him. And so the
Captain took his advice, and got into the saddle; but I heard him mutter
something about 'teaching the Colonel better manners next time they
met."

[Illustration: 350]

"And then he rode away?"

"Yes; he turned into the wood, at a walking pace, for he was lighting
his cigar. I saw no more of him, after that, for they called me to help
them with the body, and it was all we could do, four of us, to carry him
to the road where the carriage was standing."

"Did you ever hear them mention my name amongst them?" asked Beecher,
tremblingly.

"No, sir; nobody spoke of you but my master, when he handed me the
note."

"What a sad business it has all been!" exclaimed Beecher, half aloud.

"I suppose it would go hard with the Captain, sir, if he was caught?"
said Rivers, inquiringly.

Again Beecher read over the note, pondering every word as he went "What
a sad business!" murmured he, "and all for nothing, or next to nothing!"
Then, as if suddenly rousing himself to action, he said, "Rivers, we
must get away at once. Take this passport to the police, and then look
after a horse-box for the next train to Liege. We shall start at two
o'clock."

"That's just what the Captain said, sir. 'Don't delay in Brussels,' says
he; 'and don't you go a-talking about this morning's work. If they have
you up for examination, mind that you saw nothing, you heard nothing,
you know nothing.'"

"Send Miss Davis's maid here," said Beecher; "and then see about those
things I 've mentioned to you."

Mademoiselle Annette was a French Swiss, who very soon apprehended that
a "difficulty" had occurred somewhere, which was to be kept secret from
her young mistress; and though she smiled with a peculiar significance
at the notion of Miss Davis travelling under Beecher's protection, she
did so with all the decorum of her gifted class.

"You 'll e