Ronald took the letter, and sauntering away a short distance, threw himself on the ground and opened it. After reading the first line or two he leaped to his feet again, and took a few steps up and down, with his breath coming fast, and his hands twitching. Then he stood suddenly still, took off his cap, bent his head, put his hand over his eyes, and stood for a few minutes without moving. When he put his cap on again his face was wet with tears, his hands were trembling so that when he took the letter again he could scarce read it. A sudden exclamation broke from him as he came upon the name of Forester. The letter was so long that the trumpets were sounding by the time he had finished. He folded it and put it in his tunic, and then strode back with head erect to the spot where the men of his troop were saddling their horses. As he passed on among them a sudden impulse seized him, and he stopped before one of the men and touched him on the shoulder. "You villain," he said, "you have been accusing me of murder. You are a murderer yourself." The man's face paled suddenly. "I know you, George Forester," Ronald went on, "and I know that you are guilty. You have to thank the woman who once loved you that I do not at once hand you over to the provost-marshal to be sent to England for trial, but for her sake I will let you escape. Make a confession and sign it, and then go your way where you will, and no search shall be made for you; if you do not, to-morrow you shall be in the hands of the police." "There is no evidence against me more than against another," the man said, sullenly. "No evidence, you villain?" Ronald said. "Your knife--the knife with your initials on it--covered with blood, was found by the body." The man staggered as if struck. "I knew I had lost it," he said, as if to himself, "but I didn't know I dropped it there." At this moment the bugle sounded. "I will give you until to-morrow morning to think about it," and Ronald ran off to mount his horse, which he had saddled before going for his letter. Sergeant Menzies caught sight of his comrade's face as he sprang into the saddle. "Eh, man," he said, "what's come to you? You have good news, haven't you, of some kind? Your face is transfigured, man!" "The best," Ronald said, holding out his hand to his comrade. "I am proved to be innocent."