Captain Lige’s cheery voice roused her from below—­and her father’s laugh.  And as she went down to them she thanked God that this friend had been spared to him.  Never had the Captain’s river yarns been better told than at the table that evening.  Virginia did not see him glance at the Colonel when at last he had brought a smile to her face.

“I’m going to leave Jinny with you, Lige,” said Mr. Carvel, presently.  “Worington has some notion that the Marshal may go to the Arsenal to-night with the writ.  I mustn’t neglect the boy.”

Virginia stood in front of him.  “Won’t you let me go?” she pleaded

The Colonel was taken aback.  He stood looking down at her, stroking his goatee, and marvelling at the ways of woman.

“The horses have been out all day, Jinny,” he said, “I am going in the cars.”

“I can go in the cars, too.”

The Colonel looked at Captain Lige.

“There is only a chance that we shall see Clarence,” he went on, uneasily.

“It is better than sitting still,” cried Virginia, as she ran away to get the bonnet with the red strings.

“Lige,—­” said the Colonel, as the two stood awaiting her in the hall, “I can’t make her out.  Can you?”

The Captain did not answer.

It was a long journey, in a bumping car with had springs that rattled unceasingly, past the string of provost guards.  The Colonel sat in the corner, with his head bent down over his stick At length, cramped and weary, they got out, and made their way along the Arsenal wall, past the sentries to the entrance.  The sergeant brought his rifle to a “port”.

“Commandant’s orders, sir.  No one admitted,” he said.

“Is Captain Colfax here?” asked Mr. Carver

“Captain Colfax was taken to Illinois in a skiff, quarter of an hour since.”

Captain Lige gave vent to a long, low whistle.

“A skiff!” he exclaimed, “and the river this high!  A skiff!”

Virginia clasped his arm in terror.  “Is there danger?”

Before he could answer came the noise of steps from the direction of the river, and a number of people hurried up excitedly.  Colonel Carvel recognized Mr. Worington, the lawyer, and caught him by the sleeve.

“Anything happened?” he demanded.

Worington glanced at the sentry, and pulled the Colonel past the entrance and into the street.  Virginia and Captain Lige followed.

“They have started across with him in a light skiff——­four men and a captain.  The young fool!  We had him rescued.”

“Rescued!”

“Yes.  There were but five in the guard.  And a lot of us, who suspected what they were up to, were standing around.  When we saw ’em come down, we made a rush and had the guard overpowered But Colfax called out to stand back.”

“Well, sir.”

“Cuss me if I understand him,” said Mr. Worington.  “He told us to disperse, and that he proposed to remain a prisoner and go where they sent him.”