BEFORE GENERAL ARNOLD
I felt her hand withdrawn quickly, and the swift intake of her breath,
yet there was no sharpness in the voice.
"Captain Grant, Peter? What can the man want here?"
"He claimed to be hunting deserters," returned Swanson, as calmly
deliberate of speech as ever. "But that was false. He knew we were on the
road, and asked for you."
"For me? And you told him--"
"Merely that you rode ahead to see that the road was clear. Then I left
at once, fearing he might join you."
She sat a moment in silence, her head bowed; then looked across into my
face.
"This arrival must end our conference, Major," she said soberly. "Captain
Grant must not know that you are with me--that would mean fighting."
"Surely you do not wish me to run away."
"Yes, this time, for my sake as well as your own. If I could have
completed my confession you would realize the necessity. However, the
fact that you are the bearer of despatches should be sufficient; your
duty to the Colonies is more important than any private quarrel. You will
go?"
"Yes--but you? Are you safe with him?"
"Perfectly. I wish I might be clothed in my own proper dress, but with
Peter and Tonepah on guard, Captain Grant alone is not dangerous. Besides
I wish to learn his purpose in seeking to join us." She hesitated. "You
must not fear for me, but--but I wish to tell you all, and--and I am sure
I shall need your help."
"You mean I am to join you again--at Elmhurst?"
"Is that asking too much?"
"Claire," I whispered, bending toward her, so Peter could not overhear,
"nothing shall keep me from coming, dear. I will ride back the moment my
despatches are in Arnold's hands. But tell me first, if you are not
afraid of Grant yourself, what is it you need me for?"
"Eric," she answered swiftly. "He has disappeared, dead or deserted. Oh,
I cannot believe the last is true. It was to save his reputation that I
dressed in this uniform, performed the work assigned him. I feel sure
Grant knows where he is, what has become of him. I went to him in
Philadelphia, but he only sneered, and said the boy had doubtless run
away. I know better; that is not like a Mortimer. But I cannot search for
him; I must stay with my father. But if I can only be assured you will
come."
"You can be assured."
"Mistress Claire," broke in Peter, "some one is riding up the road."
"Yes, Peter, yes. Major, wait here! Don't move. We will go back and meet
him."
I held my horse steady, although he made an effort to follow. Voices came
back to me through the darkness,--Grant's loud enough to be clearly
heard.
"What, is this you, Claire?" he laughed gruffly. "By all the gods, I
thought it must be Eric. I never expected to find you togged out in this
style. By Jove, I could wish it was daylight."
Whatever she replied must have sobered the fellow.
"Everything I say you take wrongly. Of course it's all right, for the
country is full of stragglers out of both armies. Lord, I don't care what
you wear, as long as it suits you. My business? Oh, I explained all that
to your putty-faced servant--Saint Anne! that fellow! But I'll review the
matter again. I'm drumming up Clinton's deserters, but now I've met you,
I'm tempted to go along with you as far as Elmhurst."
"Become a deserter yourself?"
"Oh, no, or at least only temporarily. There will be plenty of fighting
yet in the Jerseys. Clinton's whipped all right, and is going to have a
time getting away to the ships. In my judgment there will be richer
picking for a Jerseyman right here at home, than with the army in New
York."
There was a moment's silence; then the girl asked, a shade of horror in
her voice:
"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 it? Well, personally I fail to see why
Fagin is any more of a scoundrel than some of these other fellows in gilt
epaulets. However, I've not come to that point yet. The fact is I have a
private affair to attend to before I leave this neighborhood. Can you
guess what it is?"
"I? Certainly not."
"Well, you will know shortly--the ambulance is coming."
I rode my horse slowly forward, keeping at the edge of the road, until
assured a sufficient distance separated us. Then I gave the restive
animal a sharp touch of the spur, sending him swiftly forward. My escort
would have a 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 despatch to Arnold was
mere routine, involving only steady riding, but the relations existing
between Claire, Grant, and Eric Mortimer were full of mystery. There were
connecting links I could not understand; no doubt had the girl been
permitted to conclude her story I might fit it together, but as it was I
was left groping in the darkness. Yet my mind tenaciously 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 being taken home. His meeting with the
ambulance party was altogether an accident. Yet I had no faith the man
was out seeking British stragglers, for had he been despatched on such a
mission he would have had at least a squad of soldiers with him. Then
what? The probability was that he was either riding to Elmhurst, or to
some rendezvous with Fagin. Some plan had been interrupted by Clinton's
sudden march, by the British defeat at Monmouth, and Grant was risking
his commission, braving the charge of desertion, for some private
purpose. This might be love of Claire, revenge upon Eric, or possibly
both combined. The latter 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 loomed large as I reached this conclusion, and remembered
her appeal for help. She, also, must suspect the truth, and had turned to
me as the only one capable of unravelling the mystery. She trusted me,
loved me, I now believed--and, under God, I would prove worthy her faith.
With teeth clinched in sudden determination I caught up with my little
squad of plodding horsemen, and, with word of command, hurried them into
a sharp trot.
Riding ahead, boot to boot with Conroy, I thought out a plan for action,
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 halting,
although we turned in the saddle to look, and my eyes swept over the
troopers trotting behind us. They were a sturdy lot, their faces bronzed
from exposure, their uniforms stained and dust-covered.
"Regulars?" I asked, nodding back across my shoulder.
"Not a man but has seen two-years' service," he replied proudly.
"Hamilton knows the troop, and he picked us out."
"I may need them for a bit of desperate work."
"They'll do it, sir, never fear."
"Good, sergeant; we'll 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 a few stragglers, but
paying them small attention. Farrell's shop was closed and locked, and we
halted there merely long enough to water our animals. The road was now
clear to the river, although we passed numerous footmen wearily trudging
westward. These were army riffraff, however, few being in uniform. By two
o'clock we were on the banks of the Delaware, and a half-hour later, I
swung down stiffly from the saddle in front of Arnold's headquarters on
High Street.
He was an officer I never greatly liked, with his snapping eyes and
arrogant manner, but he was courteous enough on this occasion,
questioning me after reading the despatch, and offering me a glass of
wine.
"You look tired, Major, and must rest before you start back. I shall have
my report ready by sundown."
"General Arnold," I said, standing respectfully hat in hand, "I have a
favor to ask,--that you will send your report by some other messenger,
and give me a detail for special service."
He looked up in surprise.
"Special service, sir! But you are not assigned to my command."
"That is true, General," I insisted, "but the conditions warrant the
unusual application."
"What service is contemplated?"
"An attempt to kill or capture Red Fagin, and release a scout whom I
believe he holds prisoner."
"You hope to accomplish all this alone?"
"With the assistance of the sergeant and ten dragoons who came here with
me. They are in camp now on the Jersey shore."
He walked across the room, stared out of the window, and then again faced
me.
"By Gad, sir, this is a most extraordinary request. Damme, I'd like to
get hold of Fagin all right, but I need to know more of your plan, and
the reason you have for asking such a detail. It looks foolhardy to my
mind."
I went over the situation carefully, watching the effect of my words in
the man's face. He sat at the table now, leaning forward eagerly. Arnold
had the reputation of a gallant, and my first reference to a young lady
aroused him.
"The name, please--you mentioned no name."
"Claire Mortimer, sir."
"Ah! Ah! I remember her well. Danced with her myself. Now go on, sir; I
can appreciate the tale better from my recollection of the fair heroine."
I was not long at it, although he interrupted me occasionally by shrewd
questioning. As I concluded he kept silent a moment, looking at me from
under his heavy brows.
"It looks like rather a blind trail to me, Major," he said kindly, "but
I'm no spoil-sport in such an affair. You might have the luck to stumble
onto your party, and I'd take the chance myself if I were in your shoes.
You wish to start at sunset?"
"Yes, sir."
"You need horses, rations, and pistol ammunition for twelve men?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well, Major, the quartermaster will attend these details. Go and
lie down. Washington may not approve, but I'll take the responsibility."
He extended his hand across the table, and I felt the firm clasp of his
fingers.