"It is too much like a country-seat, colonel, to be invaded by an enemy." "I thought once it was secure from invasions," he said, looking at me suspiciously, "but since there are traitors within my own walls I must prepare for anything." He spoke as if he intended to make trouble about the matter, and, since I had no fit reply, I said nothing. We descended into the valley, and when we crossed the drawbridge we met Grace Hetherill standing at the door. She expressed no surprise, but looked at me reproachfully. I felt that she wronged me, for certainly I had tried to escape. I was sent to a new room, much like the other, but with a heavier door. The window, well cross-barred, looked out, like all the other windows, upon the mountains. When I had been locked up an hour Miss Hetherill came. "You see I am back, Miss Hetherill," I said, jauntily. "Who comes oftener than I?" "Why did you not escape when I gave you the chance?" she said, with the utmost reproach in her voice. I felt hurt at her manner. I knew she was thinking less of my death than of her father's responsibility for it. I hold myself to be of some value, and did not wish to be cheapened in any such manner. "I did my best to escape, Miss Hetherill," I said, "but the activity of the Confederate army was too great for me." Her eyes flashed with such anger that I saw my mistake at once. "I beg your pardon," I said. "I will not jest again at the colonel's faith." "I have come to tell you," she said, "that you are in as much danger as you were yesterday. I do not think my father will alter his sentence." "But first," I said, "he is going to find out the traitor who helped me to escape last night." I supposed, of course, that she would tell him her part in it, having nothing to fear, and I was surprised when she answered me. "He has been endeavoring to ascertain it already," she said, "but has failed. He thinks Dr. Ambrose is the man, and both the doctor and I are willing for the present to let him think so. You will under no circumstances tell him that it was I. Will you promise me that?" "I will promise, since you ask it, but it seems strange, Miss Hetherill." "It is because I wish to be free to help you. If my father knew it was I he would lock me up until you were--were----" "Executed. "Yes, that is it, though I did not like to say it." I could not say no to such a plan, for I valued my life, and any one in my place would have been acute enough to see that Grace Hetherill would be the most powerful friend I could have inside of Fort Defiance. The doctor too must be weakening in his Confederate faith, if he were willing for my sake to rest under his commanding officer's suspicion. But that might be done for love. Pshaw! he was too old. I thanked her very earnestly for her endeavors to save me. "I will seek to delay action on my father's part," she said. "Our chief hope rests in that."