ou,
for that means betraying his trust.... But if he should--come back to
me. We will have to act quickly."

* * * * *

A fortnight passed. Alice had learned by adroit questioning that the
federal army was a purely negligible defensive force.

An attack would result in the easy plundering of this storehouse as well
as the militia armories of San Francisco. Thus equipped, an army could
be organized out of California's Southern sympathizers, who would beat
down all resistance, loot the treasury of its gold and perhaps align the
State with Slavery's Cause.

Rebellion, civil warfare loomed with all its horrors. If the plot that
Waters had described were carried through there would be bloodshed in
the city. Her husband had gone to Sacramento on business. Suppose it
came tonight!

Anxiously Alice hovered near the cot where ten-year Robert slept.

There came a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" she asked, hand upon the bolt. Then, with an exclamation
of relief, she opened it. Admitted Herbert Waters.

He was smiling. "I took your advice.... It worked."

She pushed a chair toward the hearth. "Sit there," she ordered. "Tell me
all about it."

Waters gazed into the fire half abstractedly. "Three of us were named,"
he said, "to have a conference with General Johnson." He turned to her,
his eyes aglow, "I'll never forget that meeting. He asked us to be
seated with his usual courtesy. Then he said, quite matter-of-factly ...
in an off-hand sort of way, 'There's something I want to mention before
we go further. I've heard some foolish talk about attempts to seize the
strongholds of the government under my charge. So I've prepared for all
emergencies.' His eyes flashed as he added, 'I will defend the property
of the United States with every resource at my command, with the last
drop of blood in my body. Tell that to your Southern friends.'"

"And your plot?"

"It's been abandoned."

"Thank God," Alice exclaimed fervently.

"And thank yourself a little," he commented, smiling.

"General Johnson is a brave and honorable gentleman," Alice said. "I
wonder--who could have informed him?"

Waters looked at her quickly. But he did not voice the thought upon his
tongue.

* * * * *

April 24 General E.V. Sumner arrived with orders to take charge of the
department of the Pacific. General Johnson's resignation was already on
its way to Washington.

On the foll