“Well, what luck?” he asked eagerly. “I have learned a great deal, but I must have two more dollars at once, and then I will come back and tell you. I think my information is worth the money.” “Then I cheerfully give it,” said John diving down into his pocket and producing the silver which Alison promptly placed in the old woman’s hands, returning to mount her horse and to pour forth her tale into her brother’s attentive ears, though she allowed no reference to Brigida’s son to escape her. “Well,” exclaimed John, when she had finished, “that is well worth knowing, though what I can’t see is why Pike didn’t get Steve out of the way for once and all instead of packing him over the border.” “I suppose Cyrus had his say in the matter. You see they were in cohoots, and no doubt, each being in the other’s power, everything had to be agreed upon unanimously, or else the one who differed felt that he might be informed upon.” “I think that is quite true. I suppose you didn’t learn anything of the Mexican, who it is believed was the third one of the gang.” “No, I don’t know a thing about him. If he is Brigida’s son she took precious good care not to let me know his whereabouts. I had to scare her nearly to death before I could get a word out of her, and it was only by pretending to know much more than I did that I found out anything at all. Evidently the old woman had been made to take a solemn vow not to disclose anything that went on under her observation, and I think, even now, she is in deadly fear that something will happen to her; that was why I had to give her the extra money, so she could pay it to the priest. What do you think, John? Is there any hope of Steve’s being alive?” “Of course there is hope. Now that we know he was taken over the border we may expect almost anything fortunate may have happened.” “But why hasn’t he tried to come back, if he is safe, or why has he not written a single line? He should know that we, especially Christine, must be anxious.” “I cannot say why. In war times communication is not easy. He may be in some out-of-the-way place from which it is impossible for him either to escape or to send a message. When the war is over we can begin to look for him.” Yet, in spite of this cheerful attitude, John felt that there was very little expectation of Stephen’s return, and in this opinion most of his friends concurred. Christine, however, caught at this last straw of hope, saying, when Alison related her story, “And he was alive while I was mourning him as dead, so why should he not be living now? For the first time, Alison, I have a real hope that he will come back. Oh, why did we not know this when Cyrus Sparks was alive? I cannot forgive him for keeping silence when he knew how terrible it was for us to have found Steve missing.” “You could not expect him to tell of a thing so much to his own discredit. You know what would have happened if it had been known that he belonged to a gang of horse thieves.”