"I was dumfounded. I looked at Jim Jones. His eyes was like fire. Then it suddenly occurred to me that Jim Jones was a spy, too.
"As I mounted I looked back across the camp. I saw the rope still hanging from a limb of the tree, and the disappointed man sitting down beside it patiently waiting.
"That night the paper was in General Lyon's hands, unt the next night the army moved out to fight the battle of Wilson's Creek.
"The Adjutant-General is still waiting for that uniform."
"Halt, who comes there?" called out Shorty, whose quick ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps.
"The Officer of the Guard," responded from the bank of darkness in the rear.
"Advance, Officer of the Guard, and give the countersign," commanded Shorty, lowering his musket to a charge bayonets.
The officer advanced, leaned over the bayonet's point, and whispered the countersign.
"Countersign's correct," announced Shorty, bringing his gun to a present. "Good evening. Lieutenant. We have got a man here who claims to belong to the Secret Service."
"Yes," answered the officer. "We've been expecting him all afternoon, but thought he was coming in on the other road. I'd have been around here long ago only for that. This is he, is it? Well, let's hurry in. They want you at Headquarters as soon as possible."