It was late when he arose and glided away shadow-like toward the
fort, over which the night hung black, chill and drearily silent.
The moon was still some hours high, smothered by the clouds; a fog
slowly drifted from the river.
Meantime Hamilton and Helm had spent a part of the afternoon and
evening, as usual, at cards. Helm broke off the game and went to
his quarters rather early for him, leaving the Governor alone and
in a bad temper, because Farnsworth, when he had sent for him,
could not be found. Three times his orderly returned in as many
hours with the same report; the Captain had not been seen or heard
of. Naturally this sudden and complete disappearance, immediately
after the reprimand, suggested to Hamilton an unpleasant
possibility. What if Farnsworth had deserted him? Down deep in his
heart he was conscious that the young man had good cause for
almost any desperate action. To lose Captain Farnsworth, however,
would be just now a calamity. The Indians were drifting over
rapidly to the side of the Americans, and every day showed that
the French could not long be kept quiet.
Hamilton sat for some time after Helm's departure, thinking over
what he now feared was a foolish mistake. Presently he buckled on
Alice's rapier, which he had lately been wearing as his own, and
went out into the main area of the stockade.
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