blanket around him an' took him back ter quarters while Buck went
a-lookin' fer John an' his gang.

"He found 'em about half a mile off, in front of a Mott Street joss
house, all prayin' an' burnin' punk an' huddled together, skeered green
from the yellin's they'd heard. Buck, he give 'em a long chin-chin about
layin' the ghost, an' how Judge Ming wouldn't never come back no more;
an' then he dragged 'em all back (they pullin' at the halter shanks with
years laid back an' eyes rollin'), ter him bury his United States button
on Ming's rock pile. He dropped it in solemn, an' said what the Chinks
took ter be a prayer; but it was really the oath he said. Buck havin'
onct been a recruitin' sergeant, knew it by heart all the way from 'I do
solemnly swear' ter 'so help me, Gawd.' Buck says I oughter seen them
grateful Chinos then: they'd 'a' give him the whole Chino Umpire if they
could. They got down an' squirmed an' kissed his hands an' his feet an'
his sleeve. They wanted ter escort him back ter camp, but he bucked at
that, an' said no, as he was out without pass an' not itchin' fer his
arrival ter be noticed none.

"After that we took toins watchin' Ranch at night, an' got him another
mutt ter love, an' he didn't wander any more, so Judge Ming seemed
satisfied with his United States button, an' kep' quiet. But them Chinks
was the gratefullest gang yer ever seen. They brought us presents;
things ter eat--fruit, poultry, eggs, an' all sorts of chow, some of it
mighty funny lookin', but it tasted all right; we lived high, we three.
The other fellers was wild ter know how we woiked it. An' I tell yer I
ain't never been skeered o' ghosts sence--that is, not ter speak
of--_much_!"

Bill, paused, drew a long breath, and looked at the clock. "Gee!" said
he, "most nine o'clock. I got ter go over ter K troop ter see Sergeant
Keefe a minute--I promised him. Adios, fellers. Thanks fer the smokin'."

"Keep the change, hombre. Thanks for yo' tale," shouted Whitney after
him as he disappeared down the hall.

"Well!!" said Stone, and looked at Hansen.

"Well!!" responded Hansen. The big Swede shook with laughter. "Iss he
not the finest liar! Yess? I wass in the Fourteenth myselluf. That wass
my company--Chay. He wass not even the army in then--in nineteen
hund'erd."

"Yes," said Stone, "I knew, but I wasn't goin' to spoil his bloomin'
yarn. I happened to see his enlistment card only this mornin', and the
only thing he was ever in