positive of that. She told her story unexcitedly; it was evident that
she had not been frightened, but Lady Runnybroke noticed that there was
a shade of anxious abstraction in her face.
When the officers were alone the colonel took hurried counsel of them.
"I think," said Captain Fleetwood, "that Lady Elfrida's story quite
explains itself. I believe this affair is purely a local one, and has
nothing whatever to do with the suspicious appearances we noticed this
afternoon, or the presence of so large a body of Indians near Butternut.
Had this been a hostile movement they would have scarcely allowed so
valuable a capture as Lady Elfrida to escape them."
"Unless they kept Atherly and his sister as a hostage," said Captain
Joyce.
"But Atherly is one of their friends; indeed he is their mediator
and apostle, a non-combatant, and has their confidence," returned the
colonel. "It is much more reasonable to suppose that Atherly has noticed
some disaffection among these 'friendlies,' and he fears that our
sending a party to his assistance might precipitate a collision. Or he
may have reason to believe that this stopping of the two women under
the very walls of the fort is only a feint to draw our attention from
something more serious. Did he know anything of our suspicions of the
conduct of those Indians this morning?"
"Not unless he gathered it from what Lord Reginald foolishly told
him. We said nothing, of course," returned Captain Fleetwood, with a
soldier's habitual distrust of the wisdom of the civil arm.
"That will do, gentlemen," said the colonel, as the officers dispersed;
"send Cassidy here."
The colonel was alone on the veranda as Cassidy came up.
"You followed Mr. Atherly to-day?"
"Yes sorr."
"And you saw him when he gave the message to the young lady?"
"Yes sorr."
"Did you form any opinion from anything else you saw, of his object in
sending that message?"
"Only from what I saw of HIM."
"Well, what was that?"
"I saw him look afther the young leddy as she rode away, and then wheel
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