In the matter of description the enemy had the advantage, slight as it
was.
"Third road--cockeyed barn--iron cow," and the confused jumble of
drunken letters and figures that Henry had written--I could make
nothing of these.
"From B--follow 1 1-2 m. Take third road--3 or 5"--this was at least
half-intelligible.
Then it came on me like a blow,--was this the mysterious "key" that the
Unknown had demanded of me in her letter of this morning? I turned sick
at heart at the thought that my ignorance and inattention had put the
boy in jeopardy. The enemy had perhaps a clue to the hiding-place that
the Unknown did not possess. The desertion of these headquarters
swelled my fears. Though Terrill, disabled by wounds, was groaning with
pain and rage at Livermore, and the night's arrests at Borton's had
reduced the numbers of the band, Darby Meeker was still on the active
list. And Doddridge Knapp? He was free now to follow his desperate plot
to its end without risking his schemes of fortune. The absence of
Meeker, the date of to-day upon the map, suggesting that it had but
just come into the hands of the enemy, and the lack of a garrison in
the Den, raised the apprehension that fresh mischief was afoot.
I was roused from my reverie of fears by confused shouts from down the
hall, and sprang hastily to the door, with the thought that the forces
of the enemy were upon us.
"Here he is! they've found him," cried an excited voice.
"Yes, sir! here he comes!"
It was truly the stalwart guard; but two days had made a sad change in
him.
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