She ain't no combatant, sir, an' dern me if I don't think she ought to
be got outside first."
"Girl! What girl?" I cried, believing I must have misunderstood. "What
is it you are trying to say, man?"
The soldier jerked his thumb back over his shoulder.
"The one in thar behind the stairs," he explained slowly. "Tom Ragan he
made her go thar when the rumpus begun, an' then Tom he got killed.
Ain't that the way of it, Talbot?"
"Sure," chimed in the other. "It is the same one that was in the parlor
last night, sir. She don't seem scared, ner nuthin' like that, only
Ragan told her she'd got to stay thar. I heard 'em talkin', an' she said
she wanted you."
"What did Ragan answer?" now thoroughly aroused to the knowledge this
must be Billie.
"He only told her to git right back in thar, an' keep still. It was just
as that whole caboodle come tearin' up this las' time, sir. It wan't no
safe place fer a girl whar you was. Ragan he promised to tell you, only
he got hit 'fore the fracas was done. That's why Foster chirked up, an'
that's all of it."
The man had made it clear as far as he understood. There were no more
questions to ask him, and I could only hope to uncover the mystery of
her presence through the confession of her own lips.
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