-I've seen you
somewhere--no, not a word--don't even tell me your name--I'm going to
think of it."

Keith smiled, not unwilling to humor the man's eccentricity, and
returned to his meal, with only an occasional inquiring glance across
the table. The other sat and stared at him, his heavy eyebrows wrinkled,
as he struggled to awaken memory. The younger man had begun on his pie
when the face opposite suddenly cleared.

"Damn me, I've got it--hell, yes; hospital tent--Shenandoah--bullet
imbedded under third rib--ordinary case--that's why I forgot--clear
as mud now--get the name in a minute--Captain--Captain Keith--that's
it--shake hands."

Puzzled at the unexpected recognition, yet realizing the friendliness of
the man, Keith grasped the pudgy fingers extended with some cordiality.

"Don't remember me I s'pose--don't think you ever saw me--delirious when
I came--hate to tell you what you was talking about--gave you hypodermic
first thing--behaved well enough though when I dug out the lead--Minie
bullet, badly blunted hitting the rib--thought you might die with blood
poison--couldn't stay to see--too damn much to do--evidently didn't
though--remember me now?"

"No, only from what you say. You must have been at General Waite's
headquarters."

"That's it--charge of Stonewall's field hospital--just happened to ride
into Waite's camp that night--damn lucky for you I did--young snip there
wanted to saw the bone--I stopped that--liked your face--imagined you
might be worth saving--ain't so sure of it now, or you wouldn't be
out in this God forsaken country, eating such grub--my name's
Fairbain--Joseph Wright Fairbain, M.D.--contract surgeon for the
railroad--working on the line?"

Keith shook his head, feeling awakening interest in his peculiar
companion.

"No; just drifted in here from down on the Arkansas," he explained,
briefly. "Did you know General Waite was dead?"

The doctor's ruddy face whitened.

"Dead?--Willis Waite dead?" he repeated. "What do you mean, sir? Are you
sure? When?"

"I ought to be sure; I buried him just this side the Cimmaron Crossing
out on the Santa Fe trail."

"But do you know it was General Waite?" the man's insistent tone full of
doubt.

"I have no question about it," returned Keith, conclusively. "The man
was Waite's size and general appearance, with gray beard, similar to the
one I remember he wore during the war. He had been scalped, and his face
beaten beyond recognition, but