d. Be cool, Overton, and be
sure that no harm can come to you if you are innocent, as I am certain
that you are. Here is your envelope, Mr. Ruggles. I have looked over the
contents, which are, as you state, fifteen one-thousand-dollar bills."

"And the other bills you will find on this lieutenant. Though, wait a
moment. He has just been in his tent. He may have hidden the money
there."

"If it's true that you handed this lieutenant money, Mr. Ruggles, what
did he do with it when he first received it?" asked Foster.

"I don't know, Captain, except that he went forward into the stateroom
to look it over. He didn't have it in his hand when he came out of the
stateroom."

"You----" quivered Hal.

"Easy, Overton, lad," admonished the captain. "Nothing is proved by
calling another hard names. Take that chair, Mr. Overton, and wait until
Sergeant Raney returns."

Pausing by the chair, before dropping into it, Hal faced his captain to
say:

"I beg, sir, that you will order a search at once. I offer my person, my
baggage--everything to be searched."

"I will have Sergeant Raney do it as soon as he returns," Captain Foster
assured the angry young officer. "Raney is a wholly discreet fellow."

In time Sergeant Raney returned. He looked somewhat surprised when,
after being taken into the officers' tent with his two superiors and
Ruggles, Raney was ordered to begin a careful search of the lieutenant.
Captain Foster stood where he could instantly have detected any effort
that the Army boy might have made to throw any thing away.

Hal's first act was to unfasten his belt, and drop it, revolver and all,
upon a chair. Then he straightened up, very white from the humiliation,
yet absolutely sure, of course, that nothing damaging could be found
upon him. Sergeant Raney went systematically through the young officer's
pockets, searched for a money belt and failed to find one, explored his
young officer's socks and shoes and even searched Hal's hatband.

"Now, the cartridge-box and revolver holster, Sergeant," insisted
Captain Foster.

"And after that whatever baggage the young man may have," breathed
Ruggles. "Also his bedding and----"

"Peace, sir!" commanded Captain Foster. "Wait until----"

Sergeant Raney, having opened Hal's revolver holster, now extracted a
crumpled mass of folded bills!

"That's the money!" cried Ruggles, as Captain Foster unfolded the bills.
"Read out the numbers, Captain, and we'll all take notes.