when
the letter came. He knew well that somebody had already been telling her
of his weakness, and it only angered him. He wrote no answer until later
in the day; but when he did, it was to say that while he would be glad
to see them to-morrow as suggested, he could not but feel disappointed
that they had not come this very afternoon. But as they had not come, he
and Blake proceeded to get into more mischief.

It almost broke Ray's heart when that morning Dandy was led past his
window, and presently he saw the post quartermaster, a bulky youth of
some forty summers, climb on his back, get a rein in each hand, and
with knees well hunched up and elbows braced, settle himself according
to his ideas of equestrianism in the big padded saddle. As Dandy felt a
trifle fresh, and chafed under the weight of the heavy rider and heavy
dragoon bit, he switched his tail and tossed his head, being instantly
rewarded by a fierce jerk on the huge curb and a shout of "whoa there!"
that stung him into amazed and suffering revolt and drove poor Ray
almost distracted. Dandy's mouth was tender as a woman's. Ray rode him
with the veriest feather touch on the rein, and to see his pet tortured
by such ignorance was more than he could stand. He flew to the door, and
shouted,--

"For God's sake, man, don't use that curb! He'll go all right if you
give him his head." But the infantryman only glared, probably did not
hear, he was so busy trying to keep his seat; and paying no attention to
Ray, went alternately jerking and kicking up the row, while Dandy,
startled, amazed, tortured, and high-strung, backed and plunged and
tugged at the bit. A mother who sees her child abused by some ruffian of
a big boy knows what Ray suffered from that scene. Only to such, and to
the trooper who loves the horse who has borne him through charge after
charge, who has been his comrade on campaign after campaign, shared
wounds and danger and hunger and thirst with him, will Ray's next move
be conceivable; he threw himself upon his bed, buried his face in his
arms, and broke down utterly.

He and Blake concocted between them later in the day a letter to the
colonel expressive of their views as to Dandy's rights; but the letter
was so pointed a protest against their seizing a regimental horse for
quasi-quartermaster's purposes, and so deep a sarcasm on infantry
horsemanship, that it came back with a stinging reprimand. Even Warner
felt it a slur. Then Blake tried anot