Sentry No. 3 that night was "Baby" Edwards. His beat lay along the northern edge of the camp, skirting the tents of Company A. And Baby Edwards let quite a number pa.s.s his beat that night.
For instance, he was on duty from midnight until two. It was bright moonlight then, and Baby could have seen any one who crossed his post; but he heard a signaling whistle and faced out in order not to see any one. The person who entered was a boy clad in a blue uniform, an "orderly," as they are called.
He ran silently and swiftly in and made straight for one tent. When he got there he hesitated not a moment, but stepped in and crept up to one of the sleepers.
It was Mark who awoke at his touch, and Mark sat up in alarm and stared at him.
"Sh!" said the boy. "Sh! Don"t wake any one."
"What do you want?" Mark demanded.
"I"ve a letter, sir, a letter from her again."
Mark stared at the boy and recognized him at once as a messenger who had given him a note from Mary Adams about a month ago. And he sprang to his feet in surprise.
"She writing again!" he whispered. "Quick, give it to me."
He broke the seal, stepped to the tent door, where, in the white moonlight, he could read every letter plainly. And this was what he saw:
"DEAR MR. MALLORY: Oh, once more I have to write you to call upon you for aid. You cannot imagine the terrible distress I am in. And I have no one to call upon but you. If you respect me as a woman, come to my aid to-night and at once. And come alone, for I could not bear to have any one but you know of my terrible affliction. Oh, please do not fail me! You may imagine my state of mind when I write you like this. And let me call myself
Your friend,
"MARY ADAMS."
Mark finished the reading of that letter in amazement, even alarm.
"Did she give you this?" he demanded of the boy.
"Yes, sir, she did, not five minutes ago," replied the lad. "And she told me to run. She seemed scared to death, sir, and I know she"d been crying."
Mark stared into his earnest face a moment, and then he turned away in thought.
"You may go," he said to the boy. "I know my way to her house alone."
The lad disappeared; and Mark, without a moment"s hesitation, went over and woke one of the cadets.
"Wake up, Texas," he whispered. "Wake up and read this."
Texas arose from his couch in surprise and sleepy alarm. He read the letter, gasping; then he stared at Mark.
"Do you think she wrote it?" he inquired.
That problem was puzzling Mark, too. He had received two letters before from the girl, under exactly similar circ.u.mstances. One had been a trick of the cadets to lure him out. The other had been genuine, and had resulted in Mark"s saving the girl"s brother from disgrace and ruin. But which was this?
Mark made up his mind quickly.
"I think she wrote it, old man," he said. "The drum boy who gave me this gave me the other she wrote, too, and he swears she wrote this. He said she was frightened and crying. Texas, she lives way off there with her old mother, who"s blind and helpless. And there"s no telling what may have happened to her. Just see how urgent that note is. I must go, old man. I"d be a coward if I didn"t. She don"t know a soul to call on but me."
And Mark, generous and n.o.ble to a fault, had turned and begun to fling on his clothing. Texas was doing likewise.
"I"m a-goin" too," he vowed.
"She says not," whispered Mark.
"I know," was the answer. "She ain"t a-goin" to know it. I"m a-goin" in case it"s them ole yearlin"s. Ef I see it"s all right, and she wrote it, I reckon I kin sneak home."
Nothing could deter the faithful and vigilant Texan from his resolution, and when Mark stole out of his tent his friend was at his heels. They pa.s.sed the sentry, Baby Edwards, with the usual signal, Mark fooled for once, was chuckling at his deception, thinking Baby thought them yearlings. But Baby knew who it was, and laughed.
The two, once clear of camp, set out on a dead run. They dashed across the Cavalry Plain and down the road to Highland Falls. It was nearly a mile to where Mary Adams lived, but Mark never stopped once, not even when he came to the dreaded cadet limits, to be found beyond which meant court-martial and dismissal in disgrace. He took the risk grimly, however, and ran on. When they finally reached the girl"s house the Texan was panting and exhausted.
"You stay there," whispered Mark, pointing to a clump of bushes nearby.
Texas crouched behind them, and doubled his fists in determination. Mark just as promptly stepped up to the door and softly rapped.
There was a light in one of the rooms on the ground floor. The curtain was carefully drawn, but Texas, watching closely, saw a shadow swiftly flit across. And just after that the door was flung open, and the girl stood before them.
"I knew you would come!" Texas heard her cry. "Oh, thank fortune!"
Then Mark stepped inside, and the door shut again.
Texas waited in suspense and curiosity. He did not know how long Mark might be in there, but he was resolved to stick it out. Then suddenly, to his surprise, the door was opened again, and Mark and the girl stepped out.
She was leaning upon his arm, and hurrying him forward quickly. She was evidently in great distress, and from what the hidden listener heard, Mark was striving his best to comfort her. The two figures hurried across the clearing and vanished in the woods. Texas arose from his position.
"I reckon it"s all right," he muttered. "It"s blamed mysterious, but there"s nothin" mo" fo" me to do."
And suiting the action to the word the faithful Southerner turned and set out rapidly for camp.
Mark, when he entered Mary Adams" house, found her standing before him, a picture of misery and fright. He demanded to know what was wrong.
"Come, come!" the girl cried. "Quick. I cannot tell you. Oh! Come and see."
She flung a shawl about her shoulders, seized Mark by the arm in a convulsive grip, and together they hurried through the woods.
It was a little footpath they followed. Mark had no idea where they were going in the deep black darkness. He abandoned himself entirely to the girl"s guidance, trusting that no slight matter could have taken her there, and he was right.
The girl said not a word during the trip. She kept her face hidden in the shawl, and only a sob told Mark the state of her feelings. He was growing more mystified and curious every moment.
On, on they went. They must have been hurrying continually for at least five minutes, the girl dragging the cadet faster and faster, when suddenly she turned and left the path.
There was a dense thicket before them; she paused not a moment to hesitate, but plunged into the midst of it. The briars tore her clothing and hands, but she forced her way in. And when they were in the very center, without a word, she stopped and faced about.
She pushed aside her veil and hair and stared wildly at Mark. He gazed at her blood-red, burning cheeks and saw her black eyes glitter.
"What is the matter?" he cried.
She made not a sound, but suddenly to Mark"s infinite horror flung herself upon him and wrapped her arms about his neck.