Aunt Clarissa and Grace both grew faint. The Colonel dashed his riding-whip to the ground.
George panted as he went on with his story. "I can remember no more than seeing that fiend standing there cross-legged, looking up at me. Then it seemed to me I fell from some frightful height."
"You must have come home after that," said Aunt Clarissa, "for you arrived here shortly after dusk."
She made up her mind that she would not say anything about the latter escapade and his escape from the house, as George did not wish to talk on further, and Colonel Hewes also concluded to say nothing about the doctor's discovery, which the latter had related to him.
"After I fell, I remember nothing for two days, you know," George added.
"Never mind," said Aunt Clarissa, smoothing back his hair. "You must rest, dear boy."
The lad closed his eyes, and appeared to drop asleep.
Colonel Hewes took his leave at once. As he went across the meadow toward the foundry a thought struck him. "Jove! I have the solution!" he said, "It was Adam Bent Knee's revenge. Indian blood will show out. I have always held it so. He has settled scores for good and all with his old enemy Cloud."
There was one thing that puzzled every one—the presence of the strange horse that it was supposed George must have picked up somewhere on the Tumble Ridge Road, and while still under the influence of his disordered mind. Burnt into the saddle was the name "Ralston, Hoboken." If the "colt" could have talked, it could have added some astonishing information that would have cleared away the fog of uncertainty. It was thought, however, that the little horse might have escaped from the band of marauders, and that the young man had found him after he had fallen, and had managed to free himself from his bonds. Colonel Hewes's cousin could have solved a great deal of this mystery, but he had gone to Morristown, and had been ordered thence to General Putnam's forces in the southern part of the State.
There was some confusion also about the time of day at which things had taken place.