ch every minute. Is it
business that can wait until then?"

"It will have to," said Davies.

"Then let me get at once to the reason of my desiring to see you before
to-night. Captain Devers has been called upon by department
head-quarters to explain some discrepancies in an official report or
two, and I was present at the long interview between him and the colonel
this afternoon. Davies, have you ever seen a map or sketch of that
ground north of Antelope Springs where you had your adventure last
September?"

"No," said Davies, wondering.

"Then I want you to look at this, compare it with your recollections,
and tell me how accurate it is, especially as to the tracing of the
trails of the various parties."

The short winter day was already waning and the light in the dingy
office growing dim. Leonard called for candles, then stretched a huge
white blotter upon a wide-topped stand and spread open upon it the filmy
sheet of tracing paper. An almost exact copy of Devers's map was thrown
into bold, black relief, and for the first time Percy Davies saw the
plan on which was based the report that, exonerating his captain,
inferentially held him accountable for the massacre of his comrades at
Antelope Springs.

"Why! when was this made?" he asked, in grave surprise. "Whose work is
this?"

"It was made while you were lying ill at Cranston's up at the old post,"
said Leonard, calmly. "Had you never heard of the investigation?"

"Never."

"The general sent Mr. Archer of his staff up there to go over the ground
with Devers and let him explain, if he could, why he got so far away
from you and your people as to permit that tragedy to occur, especially
after the orders he'd received from Major Warren. Devers cleared himself
by proving to Archer's satisfaction that he obeyed his orders exactly
and marched right along the ridge here. This trail, the one that runs
due south, just west of the summit of the divide, was made by Devers's
main command moving in support of you and your detachment. This one off
here"--and Leonard's pencil rode lightly along another that skirted a
ravine apparently two miles away from the ridge--"this one was made by
his command the next day after you had been found by Warren's men," and
Leonard was narrowly eying Davies as he spoke.

"Pardon me, Mr. Leonard, it was just the other way," said Davies,
assuming that the adjutant in his personal ignorance of the facts was
stating a theory. "Captain Dev