During his convalescence this time, Grace was with him a good deal. She sang and read to him, and Mark thought he never had heard a voice so sweet. Even the hand of Tilly was not so gentle and soothing on his fevered brow as was the hand of Grace. By the first of August he had nearly recovered, but with August came Colonel Clay, returning to the South. He was in a towering rage, for all his planning had come to naught. The defeat of Porter at Moore's Mill, and then his complete overthrow at Kirksville, the dispersion of Poindexter's army, and his capture, ended all his hopes of capturing Missouri by a partisan uprising. But one hope remained to him--that the movement in Southwest Missouri might be successful and Independence and Lexington captured. If so, the blow must be struck, and struck quickly. It had been ordered, but Colonel Clay was afraid it would not be struck quickly enough. Therefore when he saw Mark his face brightened. "Ah, my boy, I learned weeks ago that your mission was entirely successful. You are a faithful courier, and I have another job for you." "The one he had nearly proved the death of him," spoke up Mr. Chittenden. "The hardships of the trip were too much for him, and he lay for days with a return of the fever." "He must go; I can trust no one else," cried Clay. "He is a soldier. I command him." "I need no commands. I will go," said Mark proudly, drawing himself up. "That's the talk. I knew I could depend on you," replied Clay. When Grace learned Mark was to go again, she solemnly assured him that if he did and got the fever, he would have to look for someone else to nurse him, but her voice trembled and tears gathered in her eyes as she bade him good-bye. As for Mark, he only said as he rode away, "God bless you, if I never see you again." After Mark had gone Colonel Clay apologized to Mr. Chittenden for sending him, saying there were so few he could trust with so delicate a mission. Then with an oath he exclaimed, "Chittenden, there is a traitor somewhere. Schofield got hold of our entire plans in regard to this uprising. If I only knew who it was." He brought his fist down with a resounding blow on the table beside which they were sitting. "Have you any suspicion?" asked Mr. Chittenden. "No, it is some one high up, but I'll get him yet." The next day Colonel Clay continued on his way to the south. In a few days he had the satisfaction of hearing that Independence was taken and Foster defeated. But a little later came the discouraging news that the Confederate forces in Southwest Missouri were again in full retreat for Arkansas. This time Mark was not gone as long as before but he returned in a weak and exhausted condition. When Colonel Clay went away he left orders for Mark to join him in Arkansas on his return. "I shall do no such thing. He has no right to order me," exclaimed Mark. "What I have done I have done of my own volition."