“What do you mean?”

“Look yere, Leftenant, what’s the use o’ you bein’ so gunpowdery with me?  What’s the use, I say?  I mout be of some use ter you ef you wuz civil.”

“Of what use were you last night?  You allowed my prisoner to be carried off right under your nose.”

“Who carried ’im off?  Answer that.”

“Why, some gawk of a Yank that you were too stupid to tell from me.”

“P’raps hit was, p’raps hit wasn’t.”

“Who else could it be?”

“I s’picion who it was, but I’m not goin’ ter talk to one who’s got nothin’ better to give me ’n uggly words.”

“You don’t mean to say—­”

“I don’t mean to say nothin’ till I know who I’m talkin’ ter.”

Whately gave a long, low whistle and then muttered “Impossible!”

“Oh, sut’ny,” remarked Perkins ironically.

The two men gave each other a long searching look; then Perkins resumed, “That’s right, Leftenant, take yer bearin’s.  I don’t see ez you kin do me any special good, ner harm nuther.  Ef yer want no news or help from me, we kin sheer off right yere en now.”

“I say your suspicion is absurd,” resumed Whately, as if arguing with himself.  “When the alarm, caused by firing, came last night, it happened she was in her room and was badly frightened.”

“What time did the alarm happen?”

“About two o’clock.”

“Wal, about midnight a figger that favored you ’mazingly, yes, ter yer very walk, came up boldly en sez ter me, nodding at the Yank, ’Leave ‘im ter me.’  The figger wasn’t jes’ dressed like you in ’Federate uniform, but I kin a’most swear the figger had on them clo’s and that hat you’re a wearin’ now; arm in sling, too.  What’s mo’, when I thought hit over I was cock sure the figger wuz shorter’n you air.  I don’t believe there’s a Yank livin’ that could a fooled me last night, ’less he had yer clo’s on en yer walk.”

“My uniform and hat hung on the chairs beside me, just where they had been put when I went to sleep.”

“Jes’ tell me ef the do’ o’ yer room wuz locked.”

“I wasn’t in a room.  I slept at the end of the hall.”

“Then enybody could git ’em en put ’em back while you wuz asleep.”

“She couldn’t knock you senseless.  You’re talking wild.”

“I’ve schemed that out.  Thar’s tracks in the gyardin not so blinded but they kin give a hint ter a blind hoss.  Thar’s a track nigh whar I fell mighty like what that infernal nigger Chunk ud make.  Beyond, ez ef some uns had hidden in the bushes, right in the gyarden bed, air two little woman-like tracks en two men tracks.”

Whately ground his teeth and muttered an oath.

“I don’t s’pose I kin prove anything ’clusive,” resumed Perkins, “en I don’t s’pose it ud be best ef I could.  Ef she was up ter such deviltry, of co’se you don’t want hit gen’ly known.  Bigger ossifers ’n you ud have ter notice it.  Ef I was in yu shoes howsomever, in huntin’ shy game, I could use sech a clar s’picion agin her en be mo’ on my gyard inter the bargain.”