Lieutenant Diego Bernal laughed and daintily stroked his little mustache.

“I understand you and you have my sympathy,” he said.  “We Catalans are at heart republicans, and I am interested in this new place of yours that you call Kaintock.  But you will have to endure this fort a while longer.  The good Senor Pollock does not make progress.  He cannot produce the proof of what you charge.  Yet Bernardo Galvez waits.  He believes in you, and he holds Alvarez and Wyatt in the city.  He is strengthened in his opinion, too, by gossip that has come down from Beaulieu, but that is not proof and he cannot act upon it.  But be patient.  I have an impression, although my impressions are usually false, that time is fighting for you.”

He stayed with them an hour, precise and affected, but they believed him to be brave and true.  A few days later Oliver Pollock himself came again.

“I have not been able to get hold of Wyatt,” he said.  “He stays too closely with Alvarez.  I don’t think that my agents are skillful enough.  Hence I decided to procure a new one and fortunately I have succeeded.”

“Who is that?” asked Henry.

“Yourself.”

“Myself!” exclaimed Henry in astonishment.

“No one but you,” replied the merchant.  “I have been able, by the use of great influence, to secure from Bernardo Galvez your temporary release.  It is to his interest to have this plot exposed if it really exists, and accordingly he has allowed me to borrow you.  You can go forth with me if you give your word of honor that you will not leave New Orleans or its vicinity and will report again here.”

“Why, of course I’ll go!  I’ll”—­exclaimed Henry joyfully, and then he stopped suddenly, looking around at his comrades.  Then he added:  “I don’t feel right, Mr. Pollock, to go away and leave the boys in this place.”

Up rose Tom Ross.

“Don’t you fret about us, Henry,” he said.  “You’re goin’ on a good work an’ you’ll do it, too.  We need to hev one uv our gang outside.  Remember up at Boo-ly, when Alvarez had us, how much better we felt ’cause he didn’t hev Sol.  ’Twas a comfort to think that Sol wuz out thar in the woods.”

It was a long speech for Tom Ross, but it expressed the sentiments of them all.  Henry left with Mr. Pollock and they went to a handsome brick house in the city.  This house was store, office, and residence combined, and several clerks were about.  But these clerks did not have pale faces and bent backs.  They were mostly strong-limbed, broad-shouldered men with tanned faces.

“They work out of doors,” said Mr. Pollock briefly.  “Some are to go with the fleet up the rivers, others have been as far as the West Indies accumulating supplies.  It is necessary for them all to be able to write and shoot.”

Henry liked their looks, but he did not have a chance to speak to any of them as Mr. Pollock quickly led the way Into a small inner office, where he motioned Henry to a chair and took one himself.  Henry was now within narrower walls than those that confined him in the prison, but he felt a huge sense of relief.  He was free.  If he wanted to open the door and walk out he could do so.  He expanded his great chest and took a mighty breath.  Mr. Pollock heard the suspiration, looked up, and laughed.  He understood perfectly.