wrath and misery, just as Blake came
tearing in to tell of Dandy's escapade. Yes, it was wofully weak, but as
wofully human.

That the breach between the post authorities and the cavalry officers
was widened by the day's occurrences goes without saying. Blake went and
asked for Hogan's release on the ground that as a cavalryman he had done
perfectly right in refusing to let the horse go until he had seen his
own officer, but the colonel properly replied that that by no means
justified or explained his locking up the sergeant, and in plain
language said that Hogan should be tried forthwith. Blake then urged
that Dandy, being a regimental horse, should be returned to Mr. Ray, as
the colonel well knew the circumstances that had endeared them to each
other; but the colonel replied that an officer in arrest had no use for
a horse, and that Mr. Ray had no right to a public animal anyway. Again
had the colonel law and right on his side. Then Blake declared that the
whole regiment would resent such an action, and the colonel was
punishing Ray before he was even tried; and the colonel, who was meek as
Moses in the presence of his wife, and who preferred peace to war when
there was any chance of becoming personally involved, but knew his
strategical strength in this contest and was prepared to use it, most
properly, pointedly, and justifiably told Mr. Blake that unless he, too,
desired to figure as the accused before a court-martial for
insubordinate conduct, he would mend his ways forthwith; meantime, to
leave the office. And Blake went.

If Blake had been wise as Gleason he would have cultivated Mrs.
Whaling's society instead of dropping her, as he did in this critical
state of affairs. When the good lady called to see the ladies of the
cavalry the next morning, she referred with poignant sorrow to the fact
that those two misguided young men were drowning their sorrows in the
flowing bowl. Mrs. Stannard ventured a disclaimer, but Mrs. Whaling had
her information straight from the quartermaster, and was not to be
downed. Mrs. Stannard wrote a few earnest words to Mr. Ray, making no
mention of what she had just heard, but begging him not to lose heart at
having to part with Dandy, and saying they would all be down to see him
the next afternoon, and he must be sure and be ready to welcome them.
Ray and Blake _had_ been drinking confusion to the doughboys together
during the evening, and the former was very feverish and excitable