Part 20 (2/2)

There was a moment of silence.

”But how may I ever sufficiently thank you for all you have done for me to-night?” I exclaimed warmly, pressing her arm to my side as I spoke, with the intensity of feeling which possessed me.

”I require no thanks, save as expressed by your silence,” she returned, almost coldly, and slightly withdrawing herself. ”I have merely repaid my indebtedness to you.”

I started to say something--what I hardly know--when, almost without sound of warning, a little squad of hors.e.m.e.n swept over the brow of the hill in our front, their forms darkly outlined against the starlit sky, and rode down toward us at a sharp trot. I had barely time to swing my companion out of the track when they clattered by, their heads bent low to the wind, and seemingly oblivious to all save the movements of their leader.

”Sheridan!” I whispered, for even in that dimness I had not failed to recognize the short, erect figure which rode in front.

The woman shuddered, and drew closer within my protecting shadow. Then out of the darkness there burst a solitary rider, his horse limping as if crippled, and would have ridden us down, had I not flung up one hand and grasped his bridle-rein.

”Great Scott! what have we here?” he cried roughly, peering down at us.

”By all the G.o.ds, a woman!”

The hand upon my arm clutched me desperately, and my own heart seemed to choke back every utterance. The voice was Brennan's.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE REPUTATION OF A WOMAN

LIKE a flash occurred to me the only possible means by which we might escape open discovery--an instant disclosure of my supposed rank, coupled with indignant protest. Already, believing me merely some private soldier straying out of bounds with a woman of the camp as companion, he had thrown himself from the saddle to investigate.

Whatever was to be done must be accomplished quickly, or it would prove all too late. To think was to act. Stepping instantly in front of the shrinking girl and facing him, I said sternly:

”I do not know who you may chance to be, sir, nor greatly care, yet your words and actions imply an insult to this lady which I am little disposed to overlook. For your information permit me to state, I am Colonel Curran, Sixth Ohio Light Artillery, and am not accustomed to being halted on the road by every drunken fool who sports a uniform.”

He stopped short in complete surprise, staring at me through the darkness, and I doubted not was perfectly able to distinguish the glint of b.u.t.tons and gleam of braid.

”Your pardon, sir,” he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed at last. ”I mistook you for some runaway soldier. But I failed to catch your words; how did you name yourself?”

”Colonel Curran, of Major-General Halleck's staff.”

”The h.e.l.l you are! Curran had a full gray beard a month ago.”

He took a step forward, and before I could recover from the first numbing shock of surprise was peering intently into my face.

”d.a.m.n it!” he cried, tugging viciously at a revolver in his belt, ”I know that face! You are the measly Johnny Reb I brought in day before yesterday.”

I could mark the flash of the stars on the blue steel of his pistol barrel, and knew from the eager ring of his voice he exulted in the hope that I would give him excuse to fire. Yet I thought in that moment of but one thing--the woman who had compromised her name to help me to attain freedom. I would have died a thousand deaths if it might only be with my hands at his throat, her story unknown. Yet even as I braced my body for the leap, gazing straight into that deadly barrel, there came a quick flutter of drapery at my side, and she, pressing me firmly backward, faced him without a word.

The man's extended arm dropped to his side as though pierced by a bullet, and he took one step backward, shrinking as if his startled eyes beheld a ghost.

”Edith?” he cried, as though doubting his own vision, and the ring of agony in his voice was almost piteous. ”Edith! My G.o.d! You here, at midnight, alone with this man?”

However the words, the tone, the gesture may have stung her, her face remained proudly calm, her voice cold and clear.

<script>