If a mere amateur like myself, who has only had experience of organizing
the wildest kind of savages, has been able to advance or compact their
individual style of fighting into systematic effort, a great soldier like
MacKelpie will bring them to perfection as a fighting machine. Our
Highlanders, when they come out, will foregather with them, as
mountaineers always do with each other. Then we shall have a force which
can hold its own against any odds. I only hope that Rooke will be
returning soon. I want to see those Ingis-Malbron rifles either safely
stored in the Castle or, what is better, divided up amongst the
mountaineers--a thing which will be done at the very earliest moment that
I can accomplish it. I have a conviction that when these men have
received their arms and ammunition from me they will understand me
better, and not keep any secrets from me. All this fortnight when I was not drilling or going about amongst the
mountaineers, and teaching them the code which I have now got perfected,
I was exploring the side of the mountain nearest to here. I could not
bear to be still. It is torture to me to be idle in my present condition
of mind regarding my Lady of the Shroud . . . Strange I do not mind
mentioning the word to myself now. I used to at first; but that
bitterness has all gone away. RUPERT'S JOURNAL--Continued. _May_ 19, 1907. I was so restless early this morning that before daylight I was out
exploring on the mountain-side. By chance I came across a secret place
just as the day was breaking. Indeed, it was by the change of light as
the first sun-rays seemed to fall down the mountain-side that my
attention was called to an opening shown by a light behind it. It was,
indeed, a secret place--so secret that I thought at first I should keep
it to myself. In such a place as this either to hide in or to be able to
prevent anyone else hiding in might on occasion be an asset of safety. When, however, I saw indications rather than traces that someone had
already used it to camp in, I changed my mind, and thought that whenever
I should get an opportunity I would tell the Vladika of it, as he is a
man on whose discretion I can rely. If we ever have a war here or any
sort of invasion, it is just such places that may be dangerous. Even in
my own case it is much too near the Castle to be neglected. The indications were meagre--only where a fire had been on a little shelf
of rock; and it was not possible, through the results of burning
vegetation or scorched grass, to tell how long before the fire had been
alight. I could only guess. Perhaps the mountaineers might be able to
tell or even to guess better than I could. But I am not so sure of this. I am a mountaineer myself, and with larger and more varied experience
than any of them. For myself, though I could not be certain, I came to
the conclusion that whoever had used the place had done so not many days
before. It could not have been quite recently; but it may not have been
very long ago. Whoever had used it had covered up his tracks well. Even
the ashes had been carefully removed, and the place where they had lain
was cleaned or swept in some way, so that there was no trace on the spot. I applied some of my West African experience, and looked on the rough
bark of the trees to leeward, to where the agitated air, however
directed, must have come, unless it was wanted to call attention to the
place by the scattered wood-ashes, however fine. I found traces of it,
but they were faint. There had not been rain for several days; so the
dust must have been blown there since the rain had fallen, for it was
still dry. The place was a tiny gorge, with but one entrance, which was hidden
behind a barren spur of rock--just a sort of long fissure, jagged and
curving, in the rock, like a fault in the stratification. I could just
struggle through it with considerable effort, holding my breath here and
there, so as to reduce my depth of chest. Within it was tree-clad, and
full of possibilities of concealment. As I came away I marked well its direction and approaches, noting any
guiding mark which might aid in finding it by day or night. I explored
every foot of ground around it--in front, on each side, and above. But
from nowhere could I see an indication of its existence. It was a
veritable secret chamber wrought by the hand of Nature itself. I did not
return home till I was familiar with every detail near and around it. This new knowledge added distinctly to my sense of security. Later in the day I tried to find the Vladika or any mountaineer of
importance, for I thought that such a hiding-place which had been used so
recently might be dangerous, and especially at a time when, as I had
learned at the meeting where they did _not_ fire their guns that there
may have been spies about or a traitor in the land. Even before I came to my own room to-night I had fully made up my mind to
go out early in the morning and find some proper person to whom to impart
the information, so that a watch might be kept on the place. It is now
getting on for midnight, and when I have had my usual last look at the
garden I shall turn in. Aunt Janet was uneasy all day, and especially so
this evening. I think it must have been my absence at the usual
breakfast-hour which got on her nerves; and that unsatisfied mental or
psychical irritation increased as the day wore on. RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_. _May_ 20, 1907. The clock on the mantelpiece in my room, which chimes on the notes of the
clock at St. James's Palace, was striking midnight when I opened the
glass door on the terrace. I had put out my lights before I drew the
curtain, as I wished to see the full effect of the moonlight. Now that
the rainy season is over, the moon is quite as beautiful as it was in the
wet, and a great deal more comfortable. I was in evening dress, with a
smoking-jacket in lieu of a coat, and I felt the air mild and mellow on
the warm side, as I stood on the terrace. But even in that bright moonlight the further corners of the great garden
were full of mysterious shadows. I peered into them as well as I
could--and my eyes are pretty good naturally, and are well trained. There was not the least movement. The air was as still as death, the
foliage as still as though wrought in stone. I looked for quite a long time in the hope of seeing something of my
Lady. The quarters chimed several times, but I stood on unheeding. At
last I thought I saw far off in the very corner of the old defending wall
a flicker of white. It was but momentary, and could hardly have
accounted in itself for the way my heart beat. I controlled myself, and
stood as though I, too, were a graven image. I was rewarded by seeing
presently another gleam of white. And then an unspeakable rapture stole
over me as I realized that my Lady was coming as she had come before. I
would have hurried out to meet her, but that I knew well that this would
not be in accord with her wishes.