Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-11-27
But it aoaS gone!

SCupeIdcGiOn OIL luUouSo surprise. lie QaQ
put it down Just there, beside his flask, and
with bis gloves! He was certain of it-he
could positively swear to it.
What on earth had got the thing?
He reused himself from his bewilderment.
and turned all his pockets out, ran to the
brass-bound revolver case and examined it;
back to the table, and tossed everything
that was upon it over and over Made
quite sure, in fact, that pocket book and
dispatch were alike missing, and not to be
found.
He felt it was no use staying there, vast
ing his precious time in ransacking boxes
and turning out pockets which he had not
touched that day. The colonel must be told
at once; SO, with a mighty effort, Boobies
pulled himself together, and went out with
a sinking heart to tell the tale of his own
shame and dishonor.
For thus did he, in the agony and distress
of mind which overwhelmed him, designate
the carelessness, or the unsuspiciousness,
which had allowed him to trust the honesty
of others. He never for moment suspected
young Tom of being the thief, but he did
think it just within the bounds of possibility
that while he had been bending down over
the case of revolvers, some one had quietly
crept in and carried off the pocket book.
Dub CetLu0 OuU dlDoI d Wull0@dIUSr
Bottles had got through that terrible in ter
view with the colonei-terrible because of
lne pau III gavo +n both of them-after he
had given up his sword and his parole or
honor, and then had passed the night in his
tent alone, lying miserably in his hammock
with his arm flung across his eyes. Then it
all came out How his flask, handsome
silver thing, with crest and monogram en-
blazoned upon it. had been found as soon as
morning light broke over the camp, not
twenty yards away from his tent, how
young Tom had never been at all to get the
brandy for which his master had sent him,
then how young Tom was missing, and had
never been seen by any one in the camp
since the sentry on duty outside the colonsls
tent had accosted him with 'aEllo, young
Cup La, and what may you be ADDING Off
LAstly-and worst confirmation of all-how
the missing pocket book had been found just
outside the most advanced outposts.
There could be no further doubt that Tom
snow was the delinquent-nobody had the
slightest doubt about it, not even BOTTLES
himself, though he stoutly declared his be-
lief in the lad, and maintained that nothing
could make him think young Tom was a
traitor, except the most absolute and posi-
tive proof that such was the case For once
Lacy was absolutely angry with his best
friend
"My dear chap" he said, in tones which
were distinctly tones of remonstrance,
though he tried to make them those of calm
reasonableness, s'what-er-more pwroof
can you want or have? The boy was sent
to get your flask filled with bwrandy; he did
not get it filed with bwrandy or anything
else, but it is found instead only few yards
from your own tent The boy is gone-the
-er-dispatch is gone too. Nobody else in
the whole camp is missing. 1t is wreally,
Boobies, perfectly absurd to twry to shield
the young wrascal any longer. The dis
patch-er-could not go by itself-it's alb
-it-er-isn't in wreason."
SIN reason or out of reason, 1 don't and
won't believe that the boy has sold me"
BOTTLES asserted obstinately
"But he has stolen the dispatch" Lacy
persisted
"Oh, nonsense! What on earth should he
do with it when he had got itg'
"Why, hand it over to .Awrabi, of course
What else should he do with it?n retorted
Lacy, sharply
ooh he has never done that, though some
one else may. That is likely enough" an
swered BOTTLES carelessly.
But Boobies knew very well in his heart
that it must have been Tom and no other
who had taken the pocket book from off his
table, though he did not for moment be-
ieve that the lad had sold him.
The true solution of the mystery was that
the boy, by listening outside the coloners
tent, had, according to his idea, gathered
the object of the mission with which his
master had been charged, and with that
knowledge had also CLEANED very correct
idea of the danger which must attend it.
fhat ho hod ctoIo,, ho
now in hiding, with the ignorant idea that
if it were not there to be taken, his master
could not take it. That young Tom had
actually set off from the Scarlet Lancers'
camp to carry that paper across the five
miles of difficult and dangerous country
which lay between the two British camps
was an idee which never entered for mo-
ment into Bottles calculations
But his opinion was not shared by any one
else, at least no one else hit upon that idea
as solution of the mystery of TOMS con-
duct, and Bottles did not tell any one what
he thought; he only stoutly maintained that
he did not believe, and that he never would
believe, short of positive proof to the con-
trary, that the lad had sold him,
So that miserable morning dragged its
slow length along, What long, long day
it vast The entire camp seemed paralyzed by
the loss OF ttat paper, which had contained
instruc tions for simultaneous attack upon
the city and the rebel forces on the third
day from the date of sending the dispatch.
1t was useless to send out a duplicate; for
not only was the cypher probably already
in the hands of Arab, but the vigilance Of
the rebels would he greatly increased, and
so render it impossible for messenger to
pass between the two British camps.
Towards evening, when the shade; of
night were gathering around, an attempt
was made to signal to the other camp BY
means of electric lights. Hitherto their
trials in this respsot had been but dismal
failures, and 1T was as q last resort that the
Scarlet Laneers attempted it now
To their intense surprise, however, the
answering flashes came back with precision
and evident understanding, very different
from the confused answers they had received
IoeD VI