“Late in November.”

“Yes, I was one of them.  I escaped from Richmond.  Jack and young Perley got me out of the tobacco warehouse.  We reached the Warrick after a hard week of marching and hiding, and the boys were alive and well when we reached the Union outpost.  I was last to cross the bridge, and as I plunged into the thick bushes a bullet struck me, I knew no more until I found myself here.  I had agents at Fort Monroe waiting for me.  They probably forwarded me at once.  But I don’t understand how there can be any difficulty in tracing the two boys.  Haven’t they written?”

“Not a line, not a word concerning them has been heard.  Mrs. Sprague sent agents so soon as the Herald paragraph was shown to Olympia.  They are in Washington now on the quest.  It was there we got track of you—­before you were sent here,"’

“Why was I sent here?”

Kate was about to speak.  Again the shadow of her first fear—­again the dread of some malevolent purpose on her father’s part—­choked her speech.

“I—­I—­don’t know,” she faltered.

“Who came with me?”

“My father.”

“Ah!” Jones’s eyes were penetrating her now.  She felt the questioning in them, and turned her face to the clinging folds of the veil.

“Miss Boone, you seem to be deeply interested in these boys.  Are you really their friend?”

“Ah, believe me, I am heart and soul their friend!”

“Does your father know it?”

“Yes:  he knows that I am seeking them.”

“Does he approve your search?”

“No, he does not.”

“Good.  Now listen.  We have short time to work in.  You have a carriage outside.  Your father will be here any moment.  I could never keep from him my indignation and even distrust.  I shall get into that carriage with you, and you must conceal me somewhere and give me time to set the proper machinery in motion to find these boys.  There is no other way.  Your father has some reason for keeping their whereabouts concealed.  I may know the purpose and I may not.  The boys may have been killed in the volley that struck me.  It will require a mere telegram to find out.  I know whom to address, but I must be where I can use trusted agents.  I have no money.  You can, I hope, provide me with that, or the Spragues if you can’t.”

He spoke with a flush deepening on his face, and arose with something like vigor.

“Ample means—­you shall have any sum you need,” Kate said, handing him a well-filled purse.

“Good—­I have one or two articles in my room.  I will fetch them and follow you to the carriage.”

Ten minutes later the carriage was whirling over the broad road to Warchester.  By Jones’s advice it was stopped at the hospital.  Here he proposed remaining for the night, to mislead suspicion if any one had taken the precaution to follow.

“I will remain with our friend Elkins to-night, as you suggest,” Jones said; “to-morrow I will send you word of my whereabouts, and you may expect to have news of the boys within the week.”