“To tell you the truth,” he said, “the messenger did not tell you the exact truth. Ned is not with the lieutenant.”
“Then this is a trap,” exclaimed Frank, rising to his feet.
The Colonel laughed heartily.
“You are an impetuous young fellow,” he said.
“You will be telling me next,” the boy said, “that we are not to meet the lieutenant here.”
“You are not to meet him here,” was the calm reply.
Frank moved toward the door.
“Then I’ll be going,” he said.
“In a moment,” said the Colonel, stepping forward. “Wait until you hear what I say, and then you may pursue whatever course seems good to you. You were in deadly danger, out there in the cottage, and we thought best to get you away. We knew, too, that you were too loyal to leave the place in defiance of orders, and so we used this ruse to bring you here, to the protection of your friends. If Nestor had been at the cottage we might have explained the situation to him. What time did he leave?”
“Don’t you know what time he left, and why he went?” demanded Frank, all his former suspicions returning.