led the rush the night of the wreck was
now well enough to be hobbling about town and breathing his tale of woe
and wrong to all listening ears, and, the officers being gone and no one
present to contradict, he had so frequently repeated his version of the
wreck of the Idaho as to make a sinner of his memory and "credit his
own lie." The burden of his latest song was that Loring had been to see
him at hospital and had promised him, on condition of being guaranteed
against action or prosecution because of the shooting of a wronged and
inoffensive man, that he (Loring) would pay him handsomely--would send
him ten dollars a week, and gave him twenty-five dollars then and there.
"But now, for more than a month," said he, "not a cent had come, and he
heard that Mr. Loring was trying to get away East." The man told his
story reluctantly and with some palpable "breaks" when he found he was
being questioned by an officer; but Petty posted back to 'Frisco without
delay, convinced that here was something with which to confront and
confound that cool, supercilious snob. Then he could take a fresh start
for Yuma and get more. One can always get something when the object of
the story is away, and, like the seaman's story of his interview with
Loring, Petty's version of the seaman's interview with him waxed as he
hastened to his General, and had assumed the proportions of a
magnificent scandal by the time he told it to that much ruffled
brigadier. Even Strain, had he heard the account, would have riddled
it--Captain Moreland's evidence was conclusive on that point--and while
Loring, in pity and compassion, might have left money with the man for
comfort in his convalescence, it was incredible that he should have
tendered payment as a bribe for silence. Strain's exaggerated
self-esteem was deeply wounded by the Engineer's evident lack of
appreciation of his greatness, and he would be glad indeed to bring him
to heel, and convince him he would be wise in future to do homage
instead of slight. And what made Loring's indifference so exasperating
was that Strain himself was forced to see that Loring was not only no
fool, as he admitted, but a man of brains, courage and ability, which he
would not concede aloud. Strain, sent for at eight o'clock by the
department commander to listen to the aid's wrathful account of the
interview with Loring, fumed and fidgetted and strove to ask some
questions to make matters clear, but Petty was already on