As he thought of what might have happened to Colonel Vedant while he lay a prisoner--nay, more, of what might have happened to Meredith, recalling Simmons’ interrupted disclosure--he set his teeth in grim determination, and pulled away so furiously that Cato was constrained to protest. “Here, captain,” he urged, “you’ll wind yourself before we are halfway across. Take it easier.” But Grail only shook his head, and dug at the water harder than ever. Nevertheless, the swift, eddying current of the river is a thing to test the mettle of any rower, and, despite all that Grail could do, the landing that they finally effected was far downstream. A passing trolley car, however, afforded them quick means of returning to the city, and, boarding it, they rode until Grail sighted the signboard of a public telephone station, and leaped off to call up with fast-beating heart the home of Mrs. Schilder. The voice of the French maid answered, and as she repeated his name it seemed to him that there was a distinct flutter of surprise in her tone. However, he was too absorbed to pay any heed to that. “Is Miss Vedant there?” he inquired breathlessly. “Mees Vedant? No.” Grail’s heart seemed to stop beating in the pause. “She and madame ’ave just gone out in ze automobile.” He drew a long breath, and the icy hand which seemed to have been clutching at his throat relaxed. His fears and misgivings, then, in regard to Meredith had all been in vain; she was safe. What he would have thought if he had known that Marie lied when she said that Meredith was not in, and that immediately on leaving the phone Marie hastened wide-eyed to her mistress, is another question. Also, he might have indulged in some reflection, if he had known that immediately on receiving the maid’s news, Mrs. Schilder herself hurried to the instrument and called up a number not listed in the book, but recorded at the office as belonging to Dabney. Ignorant of all this, he went out almost buoyantly to rejoin Cato, and catch the next car headed for town. They had to wait a little for it to come along; so, with one thing and another, it was three-quarters of an hour before they arrived at the fort. The evening had settled down early with a lowering sky, from which fell every now and then a spatter of raindrops, and the thunder was growling sullenly away in the distance; so, although it was still hardly sunset, darkness had practically fallen, and the sentinel at first failed to recognize them as, muddy and bedraggled, they approached the entrance. At the sound of Grail’s voice, however, he stared in incredulous surprise, and seemed about to say something; then recovered himself and gave the salute. “There was a note came for you, sir,” he stammered, “just about five minutes ago; but I didn’t know if--didn’t know when you were coming back, so I told the boy to take it over to the guardhouse.”