The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-07-01
Ccprajcin. AcfPcLutc CO. n

Surely, you cannot mean to ally
yourself with guerillas, Captain Grant,
With---with Fagin?"
The man laughed, but mirthlessly.
THAT would be horrible, wouldn't
1t? Well, personally fail to see Why
Fagin is any more of scoundrel than
some OF these other fellows In gilt
epaulets. However, I've not come to
that point yet. The fact Is | have a
private affair to attend to before !
leave this neighborhood. Can you
guess what 1t is?"
II? Certainly not"
well, you will know shortly--the
ambulance Ia coming"
rode my horse slowly forward,
keeping at the edge Of the road, until
assured a sufficient distance separated
us. Then I gave the FESTIVE animal
sharp touch of the spur, sending him
swiftly forward. My escort would have
mile or two the start, yet that was
nothing. My thoughts were not with
them, or with my military duty, but
reverted to the little company around
the wounded man. The bearing of
the dispatch to Arnols was mere rou-
tine, involving only steady riding. but
the relations existing between Claire,
| Grant, and Eric Mortimer We're full
Of mystery. There were connecting
links could not understand; no doubt
had the girl been permitted to con-
clude her story | might fit 1t togath-
err, but as 1t was ] was left cropping In
the darkness. Yet my mind tena-
| ciously held to its original theory as
to Eric's strange disappearance--he
had been betrayed by Grant, and was
| being held prisoner But where? By
whom? And for what purpose?
I pondered on this problem as my
horse ploughed forward through the
dust, my eyes unconsciously scanning
the dark road. Grant could not have
known that Colonel Mortimer was be-
ing taken home. His meeting with the
ambulance party was altogether an &C.
cident Yet | had no faith the man
was out seeking British, stragg!ers, for
| had he been dispatched on such mis-
sion he would have had at least a
squad Of soldiers with him. Then what?
The probability was that he was eth
er riding to Elmhurst, or to some rem.
! devious with Fagin. Some plan had
been interrupted by Clinton's sudden
march, by the British defeat at Mon.
mouth, and Grant was risking his
commission, Drawing the charge of de-
| sertion, for some private purpose,
| This might be love of Claire, revenge
| upon Eric, or possibly both combined,
| The laser would seem most probable.
He would use Eric in some way TO
| threaten the sister, to compel her to
| sacrifice herself She was of a nature
TO do this, as was already abundantly
proved by her assumption Of male
| attire to save Eric's reputation. My
! own responsibility doomed large as
| reached this conclusion, and RENE en-
| bered her appeal for help She, also,
! must suspect the truth, and had turned
to me as the only one capable of un-
raveling the mystery. She trusted me.
| loved me. now believed--and, under
| God, would prove worthy Of her faith.
With teeth clinched In sudden deter
| mination ] caught up with my little
squad of plodding horsemen. and, with
word Of command, hurried them into
sharp trot.
Riding ahead. boot to boot with
Conroy, ! thought out plan for ac-
ton, and finally, in the gray of the
| morning, told him enough OF the story
to arouse his interest. Just before
sunrise we passed Elmhurst, the great
white mansion appearing silent and
deserted There was no hating, al
though we turned In the saddle to
look, and my eyes swept over the
troopers trotting behind us. They were
sturdy lot, their faces bronzed from
exposure, their uniforms stained and
, dust-covered.
"Regulars?" I asked, nodding back
| across my shoulder.
mot man but has seen two years.
service" he repked proudly. Ham
ilton knows the troop. and he picked
| us out"
'T may need them for a bit Of des-
perate work"
They'll do 1t. sir, never fear"
"Good, sergeant; wen ride hard,
and trust to getting fresh horses in
Philadelphia. I'll tell Arnold the story.
When we arrive there have your men
| get all the sleep they can. I'll attend
to rations and ammunition. You are
simply to have the men rested and
ready. Cannot we make better time?
The horses seem in good condition"
We passed swiftly over the level
country, meeting few stragglers, but
paying them small attention. BY two
| O'Clock we were on the banks of the
Delaware, and half-hour. later, /
| swung down stiffly from the saddle in
front of Arnold's headquarters on
High street. &a
He was an officer / never greatly
liked. with his swapping eyes and ar
rogant manner, but he was courteous
enough on this occasion, questioning
me after reading the dispatch, and Of
fering me a glass Of wine.
"You look tired, major, and must
| rest before you start back. I shall
have my report ready by SHUTDOWN"
General Arnold,"tI said, standing