her if Victor had gone through the battle unharmed she merely nodded,
and presently he was alone again, with the dusk deepening in the great
gully.

Dick was confident that nobody but Colonel Woodville, his daughter,
and himself were in the cave-home. It was but a small place, and new
callous places on her hands indicated that she was doing the cooking and
all other work. His resolve to risk everything and go was strengthened.

He waited patiently until the full night had come and only the usual
sounds of an army in camp arose. Then he made ready. He had surrendered
his holster and pistols to Colonel Woodville, and so he must issue forth
unarmed, but it could not be helped. He had several ten dollar gold
pieces in his pocket, and he put one of them on the tiny table in his
cell. He knew that it would be most welcome, and he could not calculate
how many hundreds in Confederacy currency it was worth. He was glad that
he could repay a little at least.

Then he stepped lightly toward the larger chamber in which Colonel
Woodville lay. The usual candle was burning on the table near his bed,
but the great bald head lay motionless on the pillow, and the heavy white
eyebrows drooped over closed lids. Sound asleep! Dick was glad of it.
The colonel, with his strong loyalty to the South, might seek to hold him,
at least as his personal prisoner, and now the trouble was avoided.

He moved gently across the floor, and then passed toward the open door.
How good that puff of fresh air and freedom felt on his face! He did not
know that Colonel Woodville raised his head on the pillow, glanced after
him, and then let his head sink back and his eyes close again. A low
sigh came between the colonel's lips, and it would have been difficult to