Page:Randall Parrish--My Lady of the South.djvu/208

MY LADY OF THE SOUTH it wide open, and faced him. My first glance fell upon a cavalry sergeant, a stockily built fellow with a bristling moustache, who took a hasty step back, at my sudden appearance, his carbine thrust viciously forward. Before either of us could speak a voice exclaimed from the darkness,—

"Begorra, but it's the Leftenant hisself!"

I stepped out of the light, dimly perceiving a group of men and horses below, with an indistinct smudge of forms on the veranda.

"Was that you spoke, O'Brien?" I questioned sharply.

"It's niver a wan else," and he thrust himself toward me, his round, impudent face becoming visible, "an' damned glad I am to foind ye well an' hearty, sor."

"Yes, I am all right; have passed through a bit of a rough time, but am unharmed. Who have you with you?"

"A squad of the Third Ohio, sor. They was the first blue-coats I came across when I sthruck the loines."

I took a long breath, my heart beating rapidly.

"What has become of Daniels?" I asked, peering into his face.

"Well, I don't exactly know, sor. After we'd hunted for you for about three hours or more, we decided you must have got into some sort of a trap, an' the two of us rode back to the loines so soon as it was dark enough to travel. We got word in to Rosy, an' he ordered Daniels to headquarters, an' sent me out huntin' you. That's the last I saw of Bill." [ 194 ]