-law. Accordingly, the next day he delegated his place
to another and took his stand farther down the street. Alas! it
was not the same woman's face he saw; but a far different and sadder
one. She wore that look of courage and brave hope only in passing
Mr. Jeffrey's house. Was it simply an expression of her secret
devotion to him or the signal of some compact which had been
entered into between them?

Whichever it was, it touched my heart, even in his description of
it. After advising with Jinny I approached the superintendent, to
whom, without further reserve, I opened my heart.

The next day I found myself on the train bound for Tampa, with full
authority to follow Curly Jim until I found him.

BOOK III

THE HOUSE OF DOOM

XIX

IN TAMPA

When I started on this desperate search after a witness, war had
been declared, but no advance as yet ordered on Cuba. But during
my journey south the long expected event happened, and on my
arrival in Tampa I found myself in the midst of departure and
everything in confusion.

Of course, under such conditions it was difficult to find my man on
the instant. Innumerable inquiries yielded no result, and in the
absence of any one who would or could give me the desired information
I wandered from one end of the camp to the other till I finally
encountered a petty officer who gave signs of being a Rough Rider.
Him I stopped, and, with some hint of my business, asked where
James Calvert could be found.

His answer was a stare and a gesture toward the hospital tents.

Nothing could have astonished me more.

"Sick?" I cried.

"Dying," was his answer.

Dying! Curly Jim! Impossible. I had misled my informant as to
the exact man I wanted, or else there were two James Calverts in
Tampa. Curly Jim, the former cowboy, was not the fellow to succumb
in camp before he had ever smelt powder.

"It is James Calvert of the First Volunteer Corps I am after," said
I. "A sturdy fellow--"

"No doubt, no doubt. Many sturdy fellows are down. He's down to
stay. Typhoid, you know. Bad case. No hope from the start. Pity,
but--"

I heard no more. Dying! Curly Jim. He who was considered to be
immune! He who held the secret--

"Let me see him," I demanded. "It is important--a police matter--a
word from him may save a life. He is still breathing?"

"Yes, but I do not think there is any chance of his speaking. He
did not recognize his nurse five minu