"Do you know why I'm here?"
"If you please, we must go, and at once," was the stolid reply.
I saw Devinsky grin again at this.
"This man has carried off my sister," I cried. "She is in his power now, and it was when I came to find her that he tricked me and then had me bound as you see. Send your men to find her. She must return with us."
"I have no instructions to that effect," replied the man curtly.
"Damn your instructions," I burst out hotly. "Are you a man—to leave a young girl in this plight?" My reply stirred only anger.
"I cannot do what I am not ordered to do," said the officer again curtly.
"Then I won't go without her. Go back and—or better, send one of your men for permission to do this and stay here and keep guard over me and my sister at the same time."
"It is impossible. My instructions are peremptory and nothing will let me swerve from them."
I began to lose all self-command, and only by the most strenuous efforts did I prevent myself from heaping reproaches upon him for his cold-blooded officialism.