mpt and spirited expression of
her utter disbelief in them, the good lady had lifted her eyes in
pathetic appeal to heaven that so mercifully enables us to bear the
tribulations that befall our friends, and groaned, a veritable Stiggins
in skirts. Ah, no; she hoped, she prayed, of course, it might prove
false; but the general--the general said the array of witnesses was
overwhelming, and then his temptations! and his past career! She had
been told he was addicted to the vices of drink and cards in their worst
form. Ah, no; it was futile to hope. She feared the worst. And Mrs.
Stannard was wellnigh ready to bid her begone,--the old croaking raven!
as down in her inmost heart she termed her. She was full of faith and
loyalty, but she was fearfully worried, and Blake's coming was a
godsend.

"How is he?" she asked.

"Astonished, of course; mad, not a little; but as full of pluck as ever.
What I want to see you about is this. He forbids my telegraphing to have
things stopped. He wants a court, wants to be tried; the quicker the
better; says I can write to Stannard or anybody, but not to think of
stopping proceedings. All he seems to care for is this: he fully
expected to be well enough to travel in two weeks, and then he wanted to
join the regiment as fast as horse could take him. All that is now
impossible. He has not said a word about Gleason, but I have sent a
couple of telegrams from him that will make his brother-in-law smart."

"And have you telegraphed to Fort Fetterman? I'm sure they would have a
chance to send the news."

"Yes, of course I did. What I can't get over is this: that much of this
matter must have been reported through old Whaling here by Gleason, and
it has all been done in the dark. The old rip never gave us a chance to
refute any story that Gleason would tell. Did you hear about Ray's
message to him?"

"No. When--what was it?"

"Instead of asking to see the commanding officer, as the average officer
does when put in arrest for a thing he is innocent of, Ray never
mentioned him. About an hour ago I met the colonel, and he asked me how
Ray was behaving, and was beginning something about not letting him
drink, when I could hold in no longer, and told him flatly that Ray
hadn't taken as many drinks in a month as he had in a day. You ought to
have seen him; he was struck all aback, and stammered something about
his having been led to suppose Ray was doing a good deal of that sort of
thing. I repli