“Oh!”
“Of course, I shall meet him—some time, somewhere. He’s at the Springs, isn’t he?”
“Am I a hotel register that I should know? I haven’t seen him for several days.”
“What I should like to see,” said Dick, “is a meeting between Armitage and Chauvenet. That would really be entertaining. No doubt Chauvenet could whip your mysterious suitor.”
He looked away, with an air of unconcern, at the deepening shadows on the mountains.
“Dear Dick, I am quite sure that if you have been chosen out of all the United States army to find Mr. John Armitage, you will succeed without any help from me.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. You don’t know what you are doing. What if father knew that you were seeing this adventurer—”
“Oh, of course, if you should tell father! I haven’t said that I had seen Mr. Armitage; and you haven’t exactly told me that you have a warrant for his arrest; so we are quits, Captain. You had better look in at the hotel dance to-night. There are girls there and to spare.”
“When I find Mr. Armitage—”
“You seem hopeful, Captain. He may be on the high seas.”