shown him the note.

"Why not, Pete?"

"A cavalry brigade couldn't hold it a day, Jack. We would drive them out
in no time at all. Don't you think so?"

"Well, even so, a day would be enough to do an awful lot of damage. They
could destroy the station,--theoretically, of course,--tear up miles of
track, burn all the cars there, and destroy or capture and carry off
with them a great many of our reserve stores. That was why our capture
of Hardport was such a blow to them. We didn't hold it very long, of
course, but it wasn't much use to them when they got it back."

"I see, Jack. Yes, they could do a lot of mischief."

"You see, Pete, as it is now, even if we're beaten, we can fall back on
the Junction, hold it with a relatively small force, and retreat on the
capital and the inner line of defenses. But if our supplies and the
railroad cars, and everything of that sort that are massed there were
rendered useless by being marked destroyed, we couldn't do anything but
make our way back toward the capital as best we could, with a victorious
enemy harrying us all the way, which is a bad situation in warfare."

"Shall we cook breakfast for ourselves, Jack?"

"No! On account of Broom. Captain Durland will understand. We'll get our
breakfast here. I think that's better. If he's waiting for us, we'll
give him a good long wait, anyhow."

"Fine, Jack! I think that's a good idea, too. Gee, but I hate that man!"

"I can't say I exactly love him, myself, Pete. I wish I was big enough
to have it out with him with my fists. That's certainly one fight that I
wouldn't have any regrets for after it was over."

They had an excellent breakfast, and then they went out in the street
together. Broom was still waiting, and save for one or two of the idlers
commonly to be seen in a little country town, he was about the only
person in sight. He came over toward them at once.

"Don't shoot, Colonel," he said to Jack, smiling amiably. "I ain't
looking for no more trouble. I've been up against you and your pals
often enough now to know that it don't pay to tackle you. You're too
much class for me, and I'll give you best."

"We don't want to have anything to do with you," said Jack. "We know the
sort of a man you are, and you'll get your deserts some time. But right
now, if you'll let us alone, we'll do the same for you. We've got other
things to do beside talk to you. Good-day!"

Jack really was rather relieved at Broom's pacific advan