heels, that he was in a trap, that smashing
this boy who threatened him could not set him free. He recognized, and
it was this knowledge that stirred him with alarm, that this was no
ordinary officer of justice, but a personal enemy, an avenging spirit
who, for some unknown reason, had spread a trap; who, for some private
purpose of revenge, would drag him down.

Frowning painfully, he waved Meehan from him.

"Wait," he commanded. "I don' unnerstan'. What good's it goin' to do
you to lock me up an' disgrace me? What harm have I done you? Who
asked you to run the army, anyway? Who are you?"

"My name is Standish," said the lieutenant. "My father was colonel of
the Thirty-third when you first joined it from the Academy."

Aintree exclaimed with surprise and enlightenment. He broke into
hurried speech, but Standish cut him short.

"And General Standish of the Mexican War," he continued, "was my
grandfather. Since Washington all my people have been officers of the
regular army, and I'd been one, too, if I'd been bright enough. That's
why I respect the army. That's why I'm going to throw you out of it.
You've done harm fifty men as good as you can't undo. You've made
drunkards of a whole battalion. You've taught boys who looked up to
you, as I looked up to you once, to laugh at discipline, to make swine
of themselves. You've set them an example. I'm going to make an
example of you. That's all there is to this. I've got no grudge
against you. I'm not vindictive; I'm sorry for you. But," he paused
and pointed his hand at Aintree as though it held a gun, "you are going
to leave the army!"

Like a man coming out of an ugly dream, Aintree opened and shut his
eyes, shivered, and stretched his great muscles. They watched him with
an effort of the will force himself back to consciousness. When again
he spoke, his tone was sane.

"See here, Standish," he began, "I'll not beg of you or any man. I only
ask you to think what you're doing. This means my finish. If you force
this through to-night it means court-martial, it means I lose my
commission, I lose--lose things you know nothing about. And, if I've
got a record for drinking, I've got a record for other things, too.
Don't forget that!"

Standish shook his head. "I didn't forget it," he said.

"Well, suppose I did," demanded Aintree. "Suppose I did go on the
loose, just to pass the time, just because I'm sick of this damned
ditch? Is it fair to wipe out