'Well, this stumps me!" his voice grown suddenly harder. "It doesn't sound straight, for we left him safely in Hot Springs an hour before sundown, and he had no purpose at that time except to wait there for Taylor. Do you carry any papers?"
I drew the official envelope from my pocket, and held it out to him calmly. He opened the flap.
"A little light, Snow—yes, a match will do."
The flame lit up their faces—the officer a thin-faced man with moustache and imperial, his teeth oddly prominent; the trooper older in years, but smooth-shaven, with deep-set eyes and square chin. Their uniforms were dusty and well worn. The others, clustered behind, remained mere shadows. The Captain took in the nature of the document at a glance, and I marked a change in his expression before the match went out.
"Oh, I see—you are Lieutenant Raymond. Got to us earlier than you expected. Find many recruits north?"
"No," I answered, taken completely by surprise, but managing to control my voice. "That was why I thought I might accomplish more in this section. Those counties have been combed over." I hesitated an instant, and yet it was best for me to learn what I could. "I was not aware, Captain, that my projected visit had been announced."
