He had gone through most of the rooms at their arrival and he still
retained a clear idea of the interior of the house. He knew that there
was another door on the far side of the chamber in which he stood,
and he meant to follow the wall until he reached it. Some one had been
in the room with him and Dick believed that he was leaving by the far
door.

While he heard no further footsteps he felt a sudden light draught on his
face and he knew that the door had been opened and shut. He might go to
Colonel Winchester and tell him that a lurking spy or somebody of that
character was in the house, but what good would it do? A spy at such
a time and in such a place could not harm them, and the whole regiment
would be disturbed for nothing. He would follow the chase alone.

He found the door and passed into the next room. Its windows opened upon
the southern piazza and two or three shutters were thrown back. A faint
light entered and Dick saw that no one was there but himself. He could
discern the dim figures of the soldiers sleeping on the piazza and beyond
a cluster of the small pines grown on lawns.

Dick felt that he had lost the trail for the time, but he did not intend
to give it up. Doubtless the intruder was some one who knew the house
and who was also aware of his presence inside. He also felt that he
would not be fired upon, because the stranger himself would not wish to
bring the soldiers down upon him. So, with a hand upon his pistol butt,
he opened the side door and followed once more into the darkness.

The ghostly chase went on for a full half-hour, Dick having nothing to
serve him save an occasional light footfall. There was one period of