"I don't suppose it will do me any good to ask where you have been."
"Oh, I won't mind telling you, now we are over here. I have been up to the Widow Glenn's house."
"To General Rosecrans' headquarters!" gasped Deck, in consternation.
"I see it almost overwhelms you to think a Southern spy could get close to Union headquarters. A clever trick did it—a trick I learned when I was in the detective bureau at Washington."
"You impersonated one of our officers?"
"Exactly. The poor fellow was dead, and I donned his coat and hat, fixed up my face to suit, and took his place for ten hours. It was tough on the dead officer, but he will never make a kick."
"I believe you killed him," said Deck, bluntly.
A frown crossed the face of Captain Brentford. "We will let that pass, Major Lyon; it will do no good for us to say things which are unpleasant. I want you to look at something else."
"Look at something else?"
"Your own personal position. Do you realize the nasty situation you are in?"