MARTHA: Oh, Captain Chadwick!

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: (turning sharply) Yes?

MARTHA: Aren't you going to take supper with me?

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: (pleased) What? Do you really want me now that we're enemies, you know, and all that?

MARTHA: Don't be silly. Of course I want you. You just sit down here, put your big gun beside your plate, and watch Robert. I'll promise, on my very, very honor, not to go near Robert except to put food in his mouth. Won't you stay, captain, please?

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Well, you know, if you put it that way, Miss Pickering, I suppose (He sits down at the table, facing ROBERT; he lays the revolver beside him on the table. MARTHA sits opposite him. JOSIAH has been engaged in arranging the table, and waits on them, now that they begin to eat. KENNEDY is standing at the front of the stage, to the left, pistol in hand, watching the prisoner.) I understand that I have your promise not

to try

MARTHA: Yes, yes, Captain. I said I wouldn't go near Robert, except to feed him. Poor Dobbums! (She has carved a chicken, and while CAPTAIN CHADWICK is eating, she feeds her brother, eating very little herself.)

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: I say, Miss Pickering, when you said we took your stuff, you didn't mean it, you know, did you? Why look at this bird, now. Best food I've tasted in two months.

MARTHA (still feeding ROBERT in large quantities) Well, I suppose I shall admit that your troop is better than the ordinary.

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Brace up, Kennedy; she means us. (Looks up to find KENNEDY watching the meal greedily.) Oh, I say, you've not had supper, have you?

KENNEDY: No, sir.

MARTHA: I should think, Captain, you were guard enough, yourself, with that pistol.

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Yes, and your promise not to help

MARTHA : Yes, I promise not to go near Robert again, if he's had enough to eat. Have you, Robert?

ROBERT: (swallowing a last enormous mouthful with difficulty) Enough to choke me, yes.

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: All right, Kennedy, go to your supper, and send me the first trooper who is through. I'll be responsible for Lieutenant Pickering till then.

KENNEDY: Thank you, sir. (He goes out to the right.)

ROBERT: Now, eat something yourself, Matty; you've been so busy feeding me you haven't taken a mouthful yourself, I think.

MARTHA: Oh, never mind me. But if King sends you to Elmira you won't get anything but bread and water, and precious little of that. Or if you get loose, as I think you will—

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: (fingering his revolver.) Oh, hardly, you know, Miss Pickering.

MARTHA: If you get loose, as I think you will, you'll have a long way to go, you know, to get to your regiment, and it may be hard work getting anything to eat. See?

ROBERT: Much obliged, sis; you're right, I guess. Think so, captain? CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Why, yes. Your sister puts the thing awfully well, expresses it lucidly, and all that, but General King isn't nearly so bad as you think him, and they treat 'em very well at Elmira, I hear. As for escape, why, really, lieutenant, it's out of the question. (Fingers the revolver again. There is a pause, while the captain and MARTHA go on eating. Presently JOSIAH, who has gone into the house, appears and hurries to MARTHA. He whispers in her ear.)

MARTHA: Oh, captain, Josiah is in trouble with the tea kettle, as he always is. Excuse me just a moment, will you, please? (She rises.)

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Of course, Miss Pickering. Anything I can do? (Rising.)

MARTHA: I think not, thank you. (She goes hurriedly into the house with JOSIAH. CAPTAIN CHADWICK sits down and resumes eating. In a

moment, MARTHA is heard to scream violenty, within the house.) Oh, Captain Chadwick! oh, come!

(The captain springs from his chair, and, leaving the revolver lying on the table, rushes into the house. The moment he disappears, JOSIAH slips out the same door.)

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: (calling, within the house.) Where are you?

(JOSIAH, snatching the carving knife from the table, is now engaged in cutting the rope which ties ROBERT. Once released, ROBERT becomes quick and alert. He possesses himself of the revolver on the table, and is about to go out at the left, but JOSIAH motions him under the piazza. ROBERT makes a wry face at the thought of that uncomfortable place of concealment, but, seeing the advisability of making use of it, snatches out the board, crawls under, and with JOSIAH's help, puts the board in place. JOSIAH runs to the left of the stage, and stands looking out in that direction as MARTHA and the captain enter. The captain is bending over her hand.)

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: A scald is so painful.

MARTHA Terribly painful.

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: (looking up) What! (in reproach) Oh, Miss Pickering! (calling at 'the right of stage) Trooper Kennedy, Lieutenant Rice! Orderly! Prisoner's escaped! (Some dozen troopers come running in, some with tin cups, immense pieces of bread, small hard biscuit, and other bits of food in their hands, come running in. TROOPER KENNEDY and Lieutenant RICE are among them.) I think he went there! (pointing out at left of stage.) Surround the house as soon as you can. Then spread out gradually and hunt every bit of the ground. Lieutenant, take two men and go down the road as hard as you can ride. Quickly, now! a big circle around the house, and gradually move away from it! (The troopers go off, some at right and some at left, leaving JOSIAH and MARTHA trembling on the piazza, and CAPTAIN CHADWICK standing in the centre of the stage. The captain bites his finger savagely once, then turns, and is about 'to stride off at the left, when GENERAL KING enters. GENERAL KING is a small and rather ugly man of fifty; he wears a heavy grizzled moustache; his clothes are dirty and wrinkled; his

black felt hat is pulled down on his forehead; since he wears no coat, his shoulder-straps are fastened to his dark blue shirt with large safety pins; he carries no sword.)

GENERAL KING: What the devil's the racket?

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: The racket? Why, the prisoner's escaped.

GENERAL KING: Pickering's escaped? That man Pickering's escaped? Well, by gad, somebody 'll suffer for letting him get away. Who was guarding him?

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: I was. I was called into the house, that old negro cut the rope, and he ran.

GENERAL KING: What did you go into the house for, sir? What called you into the house?

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Miss Pickering did (motioning to MARTHA.) She burned her fingers.

GENERAL KING: (laughing unpleasantly) She burned her fingers, eh? Miss Pickering? Why, who's she?

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: The prisoner's sister.

GENERAL KING: (furiously) Damnation! the prisoner's sister, and you went into the house when she called you for a burned finger? By gad, sir, you go help your men find that rebel, for, if you don't get him back, I'll have you court-martialled, sir, for neglect of duty!

(CAPTAIN CHADWICK salutes stonily and goes out at the left. MARTHA runs down to GENERAL KING, and takes his arm.)

MARTHA: Oh, please don't, general.

(CAPTAIN CHADWICK appears standing inside the door.)

GENERAL KING: Don't what?

MARTHA: Don't have him court-martialled. He really thought I was scalding my hand. I was really going to scald it, at first, so I could scream hard. Please, sir.

GENERAL KING: The devil.

(He turns savagely and marches out at the right.)

MARTHA: Oh, isn't he horrid? (She looks out after him a moment, then

runs to left of stage and looks out, runs back to right and looks. She comes to the place in the piazza where the board comes out, and, after a final glance around, whispers loudly) Robert! (At this point CAPTAIN CHADWICK, Who has been watching closely, draws his revolver.)

ROBERT: (in a grunt under the piazza) Yes.

MARTHA: They're hunting the place for you, but I think you can get to the saddle closet in the barn now. Go through the orchard where it's dark. (During the latter part of this speech she has removed the board. ROBERT is now crawling out. He is about to start for the right side of the stage when he feels in the pocket where he put his revolver.)

ROBERT Left the gun under there. (As he stoops to feel under the piazza, CAPTAIN CHADWICK steps out of the door and covers him with his revolver.)

CAPTAIN CHADWICK (excitedly) Don't you do that! This time I'll shoot; I will. Are you prisoner?

ROBERT: (with resignation) Oh, thunder. Yes, sure, I'm prisoner, all right. For keeps this time, I reckon. (Sits on edge of piazza with his head in his hands. Suddenly he sits up.) Say, how did you happen to be there? CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Why, you see, I thought you got away so quickly you must be in that place you wouldn't tell me about. And I knew that must be right here somewhere. It's an excellent good place, really. Excuse me if I holloa, Miss Pickering, please. Lieutenant Rice! Trooper Kennedy! (Several troopers come running in, Kennedy among them.) KENNEDY: Oh, have you got him?

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: Yes, he was under there. Tie him up again at the same place, please, only tie his feet, too. Then get your carbine and guard him.

ROBERT: Tie me up all you want, captain, but if it's all the same to you I'd rather you tied me to the floor, where I can lie down. Please don't stand. me up against that post.

CAPTAIN CHADWICK: All right, Kennedy, just as the lieutenant prefers.. Sure you don't care to give your parole again, lieutenant?