Eastern Colorado times., 1912-10-25

British patrol that had left the village
at daybreak.
1t was hot. close morning, and the
fitting. l took 1t of. finging 1t across
the saddle pommel. AS did SO
folded paper came into view, and
drew 1t forth. curiously. My eye caught
the signature at the bottom Of brief
| note, and | stared at it in surprise.
Fagin! How came Fagin to be writing
| to Captain Grant? He pretended to
be Tory to be sure, yet both armies
knew him as p,urterous outlaw.
plundering loyalists and patriots alike.
There came to me a memory. OF Far
rell's chance remark that Grant had
some connection with this fellows ma.
rauding. l had not seriously consid-
cred it then. but now-why. possibly
it was true. read the lines almost at
glance. scarcely comprehending at
first. and then suddenly realized the
base villainy revealed:
Have the money and papers, but
the girl got away. Will wait for you
at Lone Tree tonight. Don't fail. for
the whole country will be after me
as soon as the news gets out about
Elmhurst. FAGIN."
So that was the reason for this raid
Grants personal affair. He had re-
turned to Elmhurst. leaving his men
to trudge on into Philadelphia under
their Hessian officers so that he might
communicate with Fagin. What pity
1t was | had failed to kill the fellow.
| n NJ vi
The papers! Perhaps they were in
the coat also. Surely Grant had no
time to change or destroy them. as he
must have ridden directly to Elmhurst.
l searched the pockets Of the garment
hastily. finding note or two. his
orders to escort Delavan. and a small
packet tied securely by cord. ! felt
no hesitancy in opening this. and as
certaining its contents. The lines I
read hastily seemed to blur before my
eyes; could barely comprehend their
purport. Little by little grasped the
tmeaning of 1t all, and then my mind
leaped to recognition of Grants pur-
pose. They were notes Of instruction.
brief orders. suggestions, memoranda.
such as might be issued to a secret
| agent 5ledtiJ tIuoteu. 1uSSe "Slc ou-
dressed simply Mortimer" many un.
signed. others marked by initials. but
| instantly recognized the handwriting
Of Washington, Hamilton and Lee.
Without question this packet was the
property Of Eric Mortimer. but why
had the boy preserved these private
instructions. covering months OF op-
erations. should judge. although
scarcely one was dated? And what
caused them to be of value to Cap
tain Grant?
The answer came in flash OF suspi-
cion-the colonel. He could be threat
ened with them. blackmailed. dis
graced before Sir Henry Clinton, driv.
en- from his command. They were ad-
dressed merely to Mortimer" discov-
cred at Elmhurst, and were sufficient
to convict OF treason. 1t was fiend
ish plot, well conceived. and Grant
was fully capable of carrying 1t out
to the end. ! could realize what the
possession Of these papers meant to
him-military advancement. a distri-
button Of the Mortimer estate in-which
he would doubtless SHARE and fresh
hold on Claire whereby he could ter
rify the girl into accepting them.
stood there In uncertainty. turning
these papers over and over in my
hands, striving to determine my duty.
Should l return to Elmhurst? To do
so would only bring me into renewed
peril. and would apparently benefit no