plained."

"Another?" said Willett.

"Another. Of course I must straighten out that matter about Harris. I
own I sent it under wrong im--impressions. I thought at first he had
ignored my authority, but that was unjust. The more I think of it, the
more I blame myself."

"Then--how you must blame _me_!"

"Well--no! You doubtless feel that he did ignore you and your authority,
though I own it wasn't my intention that you should assume _command_
over him. You are both young and you perhaps judge more sharply than I,
but I've learned to know the fallibility of human judgment. I've
suffered too much from it myself, and the fact stares me in the face
that Harris knew just what ought to be done, and went and did it. He
rescued that poor creature at the risk of his life, and he--deserves
the credit of it."

Willett was silent a moment. He seemed reluctant to speak. Finally and
slowly he said:

"General Archer, it is an ungracious thing to pull down another man's
reputation, especially when, as in this case, Harris and I are
classmates and I, at least, am _his_ friend. And, therefore, I still
prefer to say nothing. I was in hopes that Captain Stannard and his
fellows might be back by this time, with the Bennett boys for one
thing, and with--the truth for another."

"What truth?" demanded Archer.

"The real truth--as I look upon it--the real credit of that rescue, you
will find, sir, belongs to Stannard and his troop, with such little aid
as they may have received from those who advised and guided them--the
scouts. _But_ for Stannard the hostiles would have gotten away, not
only with Mrs. Bennett, but with Harris. Harris made a hare-brained
attempt to rescue her single-handed. He only succeeded in running his
own neck into a noose. Your wisdom, and God's mercy, sent Stannard just
in the nick of time, and there's the whole situation in a nut shell."

For a moment Archer was silent. Who does not like to hear praise of his
wisdom, especially when self-inclined to doubt it?

"But the doctor tells me Harris had the Indians on the run before ever
Stannard was sighted--that he and his handful of scouts alone attacked,
defeated and drove them, that his scouts were chasing them and were
mistaken themselves for hostiles, and were fired at by Stannard's men
at long range."

"Yes," said Willett, with calm deliberation. "That is just the story I
should expect Harris to tell."

And sore at heart, and far from satisfied, the gene