"None that stop here," was the answer. "The first train up comes along at 11.56."
"I want to send a despatch to Fort Sibley and get an answer without delay. Can you work it for me?"
The agent nodded, and pushed over a package of blanks. Armitage wrote rapidly as follows:
"Captain Chester,
"Commanding Fort Sibley.
"Is Jerrold there? Tell him I will arrive Tuesday. Answer.
"F. Armitage."
It was along towards nine o'clock when the return message came clicking in on the wires, was written out, and handed to the tall soldier with the tired blue eyes.
He read, started, crushed the paper in his hand, and turned from the office. The answer was significant:
"Lieutenant Jerrold left Sibley yesterday afternoon. Not yet returned. Absent without leave this morning.