"
They made camp rapidly in a strong position, built their fires for
cooking, set their horses to grazing and awaited what would come.
It was a dry, clear night, and Harry, who had no duties, save to ride
with a message at the vital moment, looked at once for his friends,
the Invincibles.
St. Clair met him and held up a warning hand, while Happy touched his lip
with his finger. Before the double injunction of silence and caution,
Harry whispered:
"What's happened?"
"A tragedy," replied St. Clair.
"And a victory, too," said Happy Tom.
"I don't understand," said Harry.
"Then look and you will," said St. Clair.
He pointed to a small clear space in which Colonel Leonidas Talbot and
Lieutenant-Colonel Hector St. Hilaire sat on their blankets facing each
other with an empty cracker box between them, upon which their chess men
were spread. The firelight plainly revealed a look of dismay upon the
face of Colonel Talbot, and with equal plainness a triumphant expression
upon that of Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire.
"Colonel Talbot has lost his remaining knight," whispered St. Clair.
"I don't know how it came about, but when the event occurred we heard
them both utter a cry. Listen!"
"I fail even yet, Hector, to see just how it occurred.
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