ing him, but
the M. O. interposed.

"Stop out!" he ordered. "Stay where you are! You have done enough
mischief already."

"But, sir, he'll kill him!"

"This is my case," said the M. O. sharply. "Fall back all of you, out of
sight!"

Together they stood listening in awestruck silence, expecting every
moment to hear sounds of conflict, and cries for help, but all they
heard was the cool, even flow of a quiet voice, and after some minutes
had passed, the sound of moans, mingled with a terrible sobbing.

The M. O., moving toward the corporal and his guard, said in a low tone:

"Take your men down the passage and keep them there until I call for
you."

"Sir," began the corporal.

"Will you obey my orders?" said the M. O. "I'm in command here! Go!"

Without further words, the corporal moved his men away.

Half an hour later, the sergeant major, going his rounds, received a
rude shock. In the passage leading to McCuaig's compartment, he met four
men, bearing on a stretcher toward the sick bay a long silent form.

"Who have you got there, corporal?" he inquired in a tone of kindly
interest.

"McCuaig, sir."

"McCuaig?" roared the sergeant major. "And who--"

"Medical officer's orders."

"Silence there," said a sharp voice in the rear. "Carry on, men."

And past the astonished sergeant major, the procession filed with the
medical officer and the chaplain at its tail end.

After the sergeant major had made his report to the O. C., as was his
duty, the M. O. was sent for. What took place at that interview
was never divulged to the mess, but it was known that whereas the
conversation began in very loud tones by the Officer Commanding, it
ended half an hour later with the M. O. being shown out of the room by
the colonel himself, who was heard to remark:

"A very fine bit of work. Tell him I want to see him when he has a few
minutes, and thank you, doctor, thank you!"

"Who does the old man want to see?" inquired Sally, who, with Hopeton
and Booth, happened to be passing.

"The chaplain," snapped the M. O., going on his way.

"The chaplain? By Jove, he's a queer one, eh?"

The M. O. turned sharply back, and coming very close to Sally, said in a
wrathful voice:

"A queer one? Yes, a queer one! But if some of you damned young idiots
that sniff at him had just half his guts, you'd be twice the men you
are.--Shut up, Hopeton! Listen to me--" and in words of fiery rage that
ran close to tears, he recounted h