sound, as though some one had hit him. I don't believe I could
tell whether she had a dress on or not, for I never saw anything
like her face, and her eyes, and her hair, and I stared at them
like a thunder-struck fool. She didn't seem to notice me any more
than if I'd been thin air, a ghost she couldn't see.

"She looked straight at Kedsty, and she kept looking at him--and
then she passed us. Never said a word, mind you. She came so near
I could have touched her with my hand, and not until she was that
close did she take her eyes from Kedsty and look at me. And when
she'd passed I thought what a couple of cursed idiots we were,
standing there paralyzed, as if we'd never seen a beautiful girl
before in our lives. I went to remark that much to the Old Man
when--"

O'Connor bit his cigar half in two as he leaned nearer to the cot.

"Kent, I swear that Kedsty was as white as chalk when I looked at
him! There wasn't a drop of blood left in his face, and he was
staring straight ahead, as though the girl still stood there, and
he gave another of those grunts--it wasn't a laugh--as if
something was choking him. And then he said:

"'Sergeant, I've forgotten something important. I must go back to
see Dr. Cardigan. You have my authority to give McTrigger his
liberty at once!'"

O'Connor paused, as if expecting some expression of disbelief from
Kent. When none came, he demanded,