and why she was riding forth upon what looked to be a
dangerous mission. Least of all, Count Vos Engo, who had striven vainly
to dissuade her from the purpose to accompany the soldiers.

Now she was coming home with them, silent, subdued, dispirited--even
more so than she allowed the Count to see.

"I was hateful to him yesterday," she said penitently, as they rode into
the city. Vos Engo had been thinking of something else: the remark
disturbed him.

"He was very presumptuous-yesterday," he said crossly.

She transfixed him with a look meant to be reproachful.

"That's why I managed the ticket for Bobby's circus," she said, looking
ahead with a genuinely mournful droop of her lip. "I was sorry for him.
Oh, dear, oh, dear What will his poor mother say--and his sister?"

"We've done all we can, Loraine. Except to cable," he added sourly.

"Yes, I suppose so. Poor fellow!"

Colonel Quinnox and his men had been scouring the hills for bandits.
They arrived at the Witch's cabin a few minutes after Vos Engo and his
company. Disregarding the curses of the old woman, a thorough search of
the place was made. The forest, the ravine, the mountainside for a mile
or more in all directions were gone over by the searchers. There was
absolutely no sign of the missing man, nor was there the least
indication that there had been foul play.

The old woman's story, reflected by the grandson, was convincing so far
as it went. She said that the young man remained behind in the kitchen
to puzzle himself over the smoke mystery, while she went out to her
doorstep. The man with the horses became frightened when she went down
to explain the situation to him. He fled. A few minutes later the
gentleman emerged, to find his horse gone, himself deserted. Cursing, he
struck off down the glen in pursuit of his friend, and that was the last
she saw of him. Not long afterward she heard shooting in the Gap and
sent her grandson to see if anything could have happened to her late
visitor, who, it seems, owed her one hundred gavvos as a forfeit of some
sort.

The further prosecution of the search was left to Colonel Quinnox and
his men. Loraine, shuddering, but resolute, had witnessed the ransacking
of the hut, had urged the arrest of the hag, and had come away
disheartened but satisfied that the woman had told them the truth.
Quinnox's theory was accepted by all. He believed that King had fallen
into the hands of brigands and that a heavy ransom w