ladies hastened in to offer their
congratulations. They were desolated at the thought of losing Mrs.
Davies, but rejoiced with her that she was so soon to be comfortably
housed with her devoted husband at the agency, and Mira's cheeks were
flaming, her eyes, full of a feverish excitement, flitted from one to
another. She had but very, very little to say. She was glad, oh, yes, so
glad, though it was dreadful to leave Fort Scott, where so many people
had been so kind to her,--dreadful.

This was about the 20th and the general situation of affairs was
somewhat complicated. The bureau, resuming control over the Indians
reassembled at the agency, conferred no longer with the general who had
gathered them in, and for whose naked word they had more respect than
for all the formal treaties of agents or inspectors, but contented
itself with sending curt, crisp orders signed, however reluctantly, by
his superiors at Washington. The general, leaving matters at Ogallalla
where he had no influence, had gone after other malcontent braves in a
far corner of Wyoming. Colonel Peleg was beginning to evince a desire to
resume command, despite Rooke's knitted brows and reluctant answers. An
official from Sheridan's headquarters had just paid informal visit to
Scott, had had long talks with Stone, Leonard, and the chaplain, and a
very short one with the plausible Devers, and had gone back to Chicago.
He arrived at Scott within four days of Cranston's departure for the
agency, and within five of the re incarceration of Trooper Brannan on
charge of night prowling. He made very brief examination in Leonard's
office of Sergeants Haney and Finucane, Corporal Boyd and Trooper
Howard, who were witnesses, so Devers said, to the frequent absences of
Trooper Brannan from quarters during the dead hours of the night, and
their expert testimony seemed to be given with much reluctance and to be
received with equal incredulity. He asked of Devers what his reasons
were for refusing to forward Brannan's application for transfer to
Cranston's troop, and Devers, much disturbed to find that this was
known, hesitated in his reply. He said he had not refused, he had merely
taken time to consider. The man had given him much trouble. Some
officers considered it all right for a captain under such circumstances
to shunt a reprobate off on some other company commander, but he
differed with them. He wanted to know something of the man's
antecedents. "Well," said the