“It’s quickly told,” Tracy answered. “We planned to recapture Savannah. It was a secret. There weren’t half a dozen knew of it. Well, it seems that in some way Dorothea learned it, and we saw her talking to a Union officer in the woods. Our plans were betrayed. I’ll leave you to put two and two together.” There was a momentary hush and then Hal turned to Dorothea. “Haven’t you anything to say in your own defense?” he asked. “I have only been accused of meeting a Union officer in the woods,” she replied gravely enough now. “I cannot deny that. I did meet him. Twice.” [Illustration: “Dorothea met a Union officer in Coulter Woods.”] “Did you tell him of these plans?” Hal asked. There was something about Dorothea’s straightforward look that gave him confidence in her word. “No,” Dorothea answered promptly. “You must have!” April burst out. “Who else could have told him? You don’t deny that you knew of them?” For the first time Dorothea hesitated. She did know of them from Larry Stanchfield; but she was reluctant to admit it, seeing the obvious inference that would be drawn. On the other hand she was in no mood to tell anything but the truth. “Yes, I did know of them,” she replied. “And you expect us to believe you did not tell this man you met in the woods?” Hal said, sternly. “Of course I expect you to believe me,” Dorothea answered, a blaze of anger coming into her eyes. “That is exactly what I do expect you to do.” “But who else could have told the man?” Hal went on. “No one but you and Val, apparently, knew of it and we have been betrayed. You can’t expect me to think Val betrayed himself.” “There was one other who knew,” Tracy cut in, sharply. “I told April, like a fool!” “Do you think I would have told?” April demanded with blazing eyes. “I would have died first.” “April is loyal to the core!” Hal defended his sister. “I don’t think she would tell,” Tracy agreed, “but I don’t think Dorothea would either.” “Thank you, Val,” Dorothea said, softly. She did not care what the others thought at that moment. “But what other motive could she have had for meeting him?” April persisted. “To help the man, if she’s the Red String you say she is,” Hal put in quickly. “Did you go to help him, Dorothea?” he questioned her directly. “Yes, that’s just what I did,” she answered, “but I am not a Red String any more than I am a traitor!” April shrugged her shoulders. It was so entirely evident that she was, or had been, in communication with their enemies that it seemed as if Dorothea could not be telling the truth. She had admitted knowledge of an undertaking so secret that but a few knew of it. And now it had failed, and everything pointed to Dorothea as the one responsible for the failure. As to Lee Hendon, he was, apparently, now an avowed enemy and, as such, even she could not take exception to his action.