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six weeks in a lonely farmhouse near Mount Pleasant； that
afterward in the disguise of a young farmer he had made a long
detour across the Tennessee river and reached Georgia。
〃When do you leave for the front； Captain Wingfield？〃
〃I shall be ready to start to…night； sir。〃
〃In that case I will trouble you to come round here this evening。
There will be a fast train going through with ammunition for Lee
at ten o'clock； and I shall have a bag of despatches for him； which I
will trouble you to deliver。 You will find me here up to the last
moment。 I will give orders that a horse…box be put on to the train。〃
After expressing his thanks Vincent took his leave。 As he left the
general's quarters； a young man； just alighting from his horse； gave
a shout of greeting。
〃Why； Wingfield； it is good to see you！ I thought you were pining
again in a Yankee dungeon； or had got knocked on the head
crossing the lines。 Where have you sprung from； and when did
you arrive？〃
〃I only got in yesterday after sundry adventures which I will tell
you about presently。 When did you arrive from the front？〃
〃I came down a few days ago on a week's leave on urgent family
business；〃 the young man laughed； 〃and I am going back again this
afternoon by the four o'clock train。〃
〃Stay till ten；〃 Vincent said； 〃and we will go back together。 There
is a special train going through with ammunition； and as
everything will make way for that it will not be long behind
the four o'clock； and likely enough may pass it on the way。 There
is a horse…box attached to it； and as I only take one horse there will
be room for yours。〃
〃I haven't brought my horse down；〃 Harry Furniss said； 〃but I will
certainly go with you by the ten o'clock。 Then we can have a long
talk。 I don't think I have seen you since the day you asked me to
lend you my boat two years ago。〃
〃Can you spare me two hours now？〃 Vincent asked。 〃You will do
me a very great favor if you will。〃
Harry Furniss looked at his watch。 〃It is eleven o'clock now； we
have a lot of people to lunch at half…past one； and I must be back
by then。〃
〃You can manage that easy enough；〃 Vincent replied； 〃in two
hours from the time we leave here you can be at home。〃
〃I am your man； then； Vincent。 Just wait five minutes I have to
see some one in here。〃
A few minutes later Harry Furniss came out again and mounted。
〃Now which way； Vincent？ and what is it you want me for？〃
〃The way is to Jackson's place at the Cedars； the why I will tell you
about as we ride。〃
Vincent then recounted his feud with the Jacksons； of which； up to
the date of the purchase of Dinah Morris； his friend was aware；
having been present at the sale。 He now heard of the attack upon
young Jackson by Tony； and of the disappearance of Dinah Morris。
〃I should not be at all surprised； Wingfield； if your surmises are
correct； and that old scoundrel has carried off the girl to avenge
himself upon Tony。 Of course； if you could prove it； it would be a
very serious offense； for the stealing a slave； and by force too； is a
crime with a very heavy penalty； and has cost men their lives
before now。 But I don't see that you have anything like a positive
proof； however strong a case of suspicion it may be。 I don't see
what you are going to say when you get there。〃
〃I am going to tell him that if he does not say what he has done
with the girl； I will have his son arrested for treachery as soon as
he sets foot in the Confederacy again。〃
〃Treachery！〃 Furniss said in surprise； 〃what treachery has he been
guilty of？ I saw that he was one of those who escaped with you；
and I rather wondered at the time at you two being mixed up
together in anything。 I heard that he had been recaptured through
some black fellow that had been his slave； but I did not read the
account。 Have you got proof of what you say？〃
〃Perhaps no proof that would hold in a court of law；〃 Vincent
replied； 〃but proof enough to make it an absolute certainty to my
mind。〃
Vincent then gave an account of their escape； and of the
anonymous denunciation of himself and Dan。
〃Now；〃 he said； 〃no one but Dan knew of the intended escape； no
one knew what clothes he had purchased； no one could possibly
have known that I was to be disguised as a preacher and Dan as my
servant。 Therefore the information must have been given by
Jackson。〃
〃I have not the least doubt but that the blackguard did give it；
Wingfield； but there is no proof。〃
〃I consider that there is a proof…an absolute and positive proof；〃
Vincent asserted； 〃because no one else could have known it。〃
〃Well； you see that as a matter of fact the other officer did know it；
and might possibly have given the information。〃
〃But why should he？ The idea is absurd。 He had never had a
quarrel with me； and he owed his liberty to me。〃
〃Just so； Wingfield。 I am as certain that it was Jackson as you arc；
because I know the circumstances； but you see there is no more
absolute proof against one man than against the other。 It is true
that you had had a quarrel with Jackson some two years before； but
you see you had made it up and had become friends in prison…so
much so that you selected him from among a score of others in the
same room to be the companion of your flight。 You and I； who
know Jackson； can well believe him guilty of an act of gross
ingratitude…of ingratitude and treachery； but people who do not
know would hardly credit it as possible … that a man could be such
a villain。 The defense he would set up would be that in the first
place there is no shadow of evidence that he more than the other
turned traitor。 Tn the second place he would be sure to say that
such an accusation against a Confederate officer is too monstrous
and preposterous to be entertained for a moment； and that
doubtless your negro； although he denies the fact； really chattered
about his doings to the negroes he was lodging with； and that it
was through them that some one got to know of the disguise you
would wear。 We know that it wasn't so； Wingfield； but ninety…nine
out of every hundred white men in the South would rather believe
that a negro bad chattered than that a Confederate officer had been
guilty of a gross act of treachery and ingratitude。〃
Vincent was silent。 He felt that what his companion said was the
truth； and that a weapon by which he had hoped to force the elder
Jackson into saying what he had done with Dinah would probably
fail in its purpose。 The old man was too astute not to perceive that
there was no real proof against his son； and would therefore be
unlikely at once to admit that he had committed a serious crime；
and to forego his revenge。
〃I will try at any rate；〃 he said at last； 〃and if he refuses I will
publish the story in the papers。 When the fellow gets back from
Yankee…land he may either call me out or demand a court