d forgotten about the waiting coffee. They still
stood there where they had halted in the centre of the parade. The
doctor, coming from hospital, was signalled to and speedily joined them.
The bugle sounded, the men mechanically formed ranks and answered to
their names, all the while watching from the corner of their eyes the
group of officers, now increased by two infantry subalterns, Lieutenants
Bruce and Duncan, who raised their caps to the preoccupied general, such
salutation being then a fashion, not a regulation of the service, and
stood silently awaiting instructions, for something of consequence was
surely at hand. Then the orderly again appeared, returning from his
mission, out of breath and speaking with difficulty.

"Craps--I mean the Frenchman, sir, says it was after four, perhaps half
past, when they started, Pete drivin'. He didn't see who was in it.
'Twas the covered buckboard he took, sir--the best one."

And then, little by little, it transpired that Hay, the post trader whom
the general had need to see, had taken his departure by way of the
Rawlins road, and without so much as a whisper of his purpose to any
one.

"I knew he had thought of going. He told Major Webb so," said Dade,
presently. "But that was before the outbreak assumed proportions. He had
given up all idea of it yesterday and so told me."

"Has anything happened to--start him since then?" demanded the bearded
general, after a moment's thought.

Dade and the doctor looked into each other's eyes, and the latter turned
away. It was not his affair.

"W-ell, something has happened, general," was Dade's slow, constrained
reply. "If you will step this way--I'll see you later, gentlemen--" this
to his subalterns--"I'll explain as far as I can."

And while Dr. Waller fell back and walked beside the aide-de-camp,
gladly leaving to the post commander the burden of a trying explanation,
the general, slowly pacing by the captain's side, gave ear to his story.

"Hay cleaned up quite a lot of money," began the veteran, "and had
intended starting it to Cheyenne when this Indian trouble broke out. The
courier reached us during the night, as you know, and the major ordered
Ray to start at dawn and Field to go with him."

"Why, I thought Field was post adjutant!" interposed the general.

"He was, but--well--I beg you to let Major Webb give you his own
reasons, general," faltered Dade, sorely embarrassed. "He decided that
Field should go----"

"