, and they drove
rapidly out over the hard prairie roads, and he saw again the white
peaks in the south and the sunlight dancing over the distant slopes, and
the flag waving aloft over the dingy brown buildings of the post, and
his heart beat with eager joy at thought of seeing her again, of
touching that soft white hand and looking down into the depths of her
clear, truthful eyes, and studying the face that, lovely always, had
grown exquisite in beauty to him, he wondered how he could meet her, how
he _could_ speak to her, and control the longing to implore her to
overlook his past life with its follies and its sins, and let him prove
to her how strong and steadfast he could be if she would but bid him
hope. And then he set his teeth and tossed his head,--the old Ray-like
gesture,--and vowed that without a single word of hope she should see
how the faith of "one fair woman" had changed his whole life. He could
hardly answer Blake's eager, enthusiastic talk. He could hardly hear
what he was saying until he caught the words "To-morrow morning, four
hundred recruits, five hundred horses, and you go in command."

So soon, then? And yet 'twas what he had prayed for. He was eager to see
the dear old regiment again. He knew well how many faces of officers and
men would light up in welcome at his coming. In all the misery of the
past month he had almost forgotten that in July he was with them at the
front. How very far away that night ride seemed,--the ride that Wayne's
and Truscott's fellows at least had not forgotten! It made him think of
Dandy, and he questioned eagerly if Dandy were still there.

"Still there? You bet he is, Billy! Hogan's heart will break if you
don't say first thing that he looks better than he ever did in his
life."

"Why! How is it that Hogan has him again? I don't understand."

"Why? You can't go without a horse, man, and as commanding officer of
the whole crowd you would be entitled to your choice. I thought you'd
rather have Dandy, and so said. You can take another if you want to;
there are lots of them, and beauties. Now we're to go to Mrs. Stannard's
for dinner at once. Shall we stop and knock off the dust?"

They were whirling in at the fort gate, the gate through which he had
last driven a prisoner in the grasp of the law. The broad parade was
covered with squads of recruits drilling busily and with knots of young
officers, who looked eagerly at Blake and the dark-eyed young gentleman
in gr