THE MASTER OF WARLOCK A VIRGINIA WAR STORY BY GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON AUTHOR OF "DOROTHY SOUTH," "A CAROLINA CAVALIER," ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY C. D. WILLIAMS LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY BOSTON COPYRIGHT, 1903, BY LOTHROP PUBLISHING COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL Published, January, 1903 TO "DOROTHY SOUTH," THE DEAR LITTLE WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN WIFE TO ME FOR THIRTY-FOUR YEARS, WHO HAS UNCONSCIOUSLY INSPIRED ALL MY WORK, AND WHOSE PERSONALITY, IN ITS SEVERAL PHASES, IT HAS BEEN MY LOVING ENDEAVOUR TO PORTRAY IN ALL THE STORIES I HAVE WRITTEN, I DEDICATE THIS BOOK WITH REVERENCE AND SOUL-FELT THANKS. GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON. _Culross, October 18, 1902._ [Illustration: "_In the firelight_"] Table of Contents CHAPTER PAGE I. A BREAK IN THE BRIDGE 11 II. THE BRINGING UP OF AGATHA 32 III. JESSAMINE AND HONEYSUCKLE 47 IV. IN REVOLT 71 V. AT THE OAKS 78 VI. NEXT MORNING 94 VII. A FAREWELL AT THE GATE 111 VIII. A RED FEATHER 118 IX. THE BIRTH OF WOMANHOOD 135 X. IN ACTION 144 XI. AT WARLOCK 163 XII. UNDER ESCORT 172 XIII. A SOUVENIR SERVICE 187 XIV. QUICK WORK 199 XV. AGATHA'S VENTURE 214 XVI. CANISTER 223 XVII. AT HEADQUARTERS 238 XVIII. A BRUSH AT THE FRONT 248 XIX. AGATHA'S RESOLUTION 256 XX. TWO HOME-COMINGS 265 XXI. AT PARTING 279 XXII. SAM AS A STRATEGIST 290 XXIII. A NEGOTIATION 301 XXIV. FLIGHT 317 XXV. A NARROW ESCAPE 327 XXVI. MADEMOISELLE ROLAND 336 XXVII. AGATHA'S WONDER-STORY 345 XXVIII. WHEN A MAN TALKS TOO MUCH 364 XXIX. A STRUGGLE OF GIANTS 374 XXX. THE LAST STRAW 380 XXXI. AT WARLOCK AND AT THE OAKS 396 XXXII. IN RIGHTEOUS WRATH 407 XXXIII. UNDER RED LEAVES 416 XXXIV. THE END AND AFTER 425 _List of Illustrations_ "_In the firelight_" Frontispiece _Agatha Ronald_ 44 "'_If any man flunks--I'll brain him_'" 126 "'_Riding under gallant escort_'" 186 "'_I love you, Agatha Ronald_'" 235 "'_At Christ-church-in-the-woods_'" 423 The Master of Warlock I _A BREAK IN THE BRIDGE_ The road was a winding, twisting track as it threaded its way through a stretch of old field pines. The land was nearly level at that point, and quite unobstructed, so that there was not the slightest reason that ordinary intelligence could discover for the roadway's devious wanderings. It might just as well have run straight through the pine lands.