asp before Amy started. Even then she looked back at the
boy and smiled.

"H'm!" said the General, as he gazed, "that youngster wouldn't swap
places with any subaltern in camp, even if he _is_ under charges."

There was no answer from the strong soldier standing observant at his
elbow. But when the chief would have moved Armstrong detained him. "One
more question, General. In case you were away and wanted something you
had left in this tent, you would send an aide--or orderly, or--would an
order signed by one of your staff be sufficient?"

"H'm, well--yes, I suppose it would," said the General.

CHAPTER XII.

Opinion was divided at Camp Merritt as to whether Billy Gray should or
should not stand trial. Confident as were his friends of his innocence of
all complicity in Morton's escape, there remained the fact that he had
telephoned for a carriage, that a carriage had come and that a carriage
with four men, apparently soldiers, had driven rapidly townward along
Point Lobos Avenue. It was seen by half a dozen policemen as it shot
under electric light or gas lamp. Then there was the bundle inside his
rolled overcoat that Gray had personally handed Morton when a prisoner.
Everybody agreed he should have sent it by orderly--everybody, that is,
except some scores of young soldiers in the ranks who could see no harm
in it having been done that way, especially two "Delta Sigs" in the
--teenth. Then there were the long conferences in the dark. What did they
mean? All things considered the older and wiser heads saw that, as the
lieutenant could or would make no satisfactory explanation of these to
his colonel, he must to a court--or take the consequences.

"You've made a mess of the thing and an ass of yourself, Billy," was
Gordon's comprehensive if not consolatory summary of the matter, "and as
Canker has been rapped for one thing or another by camp, division and
brigade commanders, one _after_ another, he feels that he's got to prove
that he isn't the only fool in the business. You'd better employ good
counsel and prepare for a fight."

"Can't afford it," said Billy briefly, "and I'm blowed if I'll ask my
dear old dad to come to the rescue. He's had to cough up (shame on your
slang, Billy) far too much already. I tell you, Gordon, I'm so fixed that
I can't explain these things unless I'm actually brought to trial.
It's--it's--well--you have no secret societies at the Point as we do at
college, so you can't fathom