At this the lady of the house uttered a faint shriek. "And I was so sure Garraand would see him to a place of safety," she sobbed. "Ah, what have I done? What have I done?" And she wrung her hands.
It was a good quarter of an hour before she could make herself perfectly understood to the young captain, and then her story was to the effect that she had placed Walter in the care of a faithful old man named Garmand, who had said that he could easily get the young sailor through the mountains to the nearest American camp. The two had left the lady's home six nights previous.
"I have been expecting Garmand back each day," she continued. "What can have happened to both of them?"
"Either shot or captured!" groaned Ben, and he heaved a long sigh. "Oh, why didn't I try to get up here a week ago!"
He questioned Inez Garabella further, and learned that Walter had left her home in perfect health, although still somewhat weak from his wound and the fever which had followed. She could not tell exactly what course the young sailor and his guide had taken.
