d the story about Munoz. Together they
had gone to the store again, the general and his medicine-man, to have
some half-breed interpret the message of the feather, but by this time
none was left. Together they had looked in on Case and found him drowsy
and indifferent, but both the commander and his faithful ally
distinctly heard his half-mumbled words as to 'Tonio's one object in
life ere they came away, satisfied that Case would be of no further use
for another night and day. Then Bentley had hurried to his other
patient with the result we have already noted, and a little later the
general went with him for still another visit, to soothe and reassure
Harris, for the invalid officer was mad to be up and doing. There was
something in the air.

Later still a stupid three-handed cribbage game was going on when,
after eleven o'clock, Willett came briskly in. Strong had about given
him up and was going home in spite of an unsettled account in his
favor, which Willett had proposed to play off. They were all tired and
ready for bed, and were only up because Willett was to leave and
_should_ "square things" before leaving the post. The cribbage game
stopped at sight of him. Craney went with him to the private desk in
the inner office, whence in five minutes out he came, buoyant as
before, declined to sit in again, laughingly said he'd take his revenge
on the back trip later, called for a night-cap all round, bade
everybody in the room a cordial good-night and good-by, and left with
Strong at his heels.

"By gad!" said Craney, "he may not play like a sport, but he pays like
one, and a game one," and he locked a roll of treasury notes in his
safe. Then he and Watts and the disappointed deputy doctor went off to
bed, leaving "barkeep" to close up when the few loungers quit paying
for drinks, and only in the common room was there further stir about
the store. Arrived at the shack, as Craney declared in the morning, he
had taken a candle and gone softly to the back room where he found Case
in bed and either dozing or drowsy or drugged--at all events he cared
not to speak. His hat, coat and trousers hung on a chair; his shoes
were at the foot of the bed, his watch on the table by his side, his
money was locked in the trader's safe. Some medicine and a spoon stood
by the watch. There was no light in the room save that which Craney
carried; the one window was blanketed; sufficient air came through the
loopholes, and the window sash