trusted him; but neither could reckon with unknown forces.

Sergeant Fones, sitting in the barracks in talk with Private Gellatly,
said at that moment in a swift silence, "Exactly."

Pretty Pierre, at Pardon's Drive, drinking a glass of brandy at that
moment, said to the ceiling:

"No more of Pretty Pierre after to-morrow night, monsieur! Bien! If it
is for the last time, then it is for the last time. So....so."

He smiled. His teeth were amazingly white.

The stalwart figure strode on under the stars, the white night a lens
for visions of days of rejoicing to come. All evil was far from him. The
dolorous tide rolled back in this hour from his life, and he revelled in
the light of a new day.

"When I've played my last card to-morrow night with Pretty Pierre, I'll
begin the world again," he whispered.

And Sergeant Fones in the barracks said just then, in response to a
further remark of Private Gellatly,--"Exactly."

Young Aleck fell to singing:

"Out from your vineland come
Into the prairies wild;
Here will we make our home,
Father, mother, and child;
Come, my love, to our home,
Father, mother, and child,
Father, mother, and--"

He fell to thinking again--"and child--and child,"--it was in his ears
and in his heart.

But Pretty Pierre was singing softly to himself in the room at Pardon's
Drive:

"Three good friends with the wine at night
Vive la compagnie!
Two good friends when the sun grows bright
Vive la compagnie!
Vive la, vive la, vive l'amour!
Vive la, vive la, vive l'amour!
Three good friends, two good friends
Vive la compagnie!"

What did it mean?

Private Gellatly was cousin to Idaho Jack, and Idaho Jack disliked
Pretty Pierre, though he had been one of the gang. The cousins had seen
each other lately, and Private Gellatly had had a talk with the man who
was ha'sh. It may be that others besides Pierre had an idea of what it
meant.

In the house at Pardon's Drive the next night sat eight men, of whom
three were Pretty Pierre, Young Aleck, and Idaho Jack. Young Aleck's
face was flushed with bad liquor and the worse excitement of play. This
was one of the unreckoned forces. Was this the man that sang the tender
song under the stars last night? Pretty Pierre's face was less pretty
than usual; the cheeks were pallid, the eyes were hard and cold