?
Never heard of such a thing in forty years of military life! Lord bless
my soul, what is the service coming to!"

"A new ballot! a new ballot! a new ballot!" was the unanimous cry.

The President groaned in spirit, and recorded a vow never to forgive
Herbert Greyson for this departure from routine.

The new ballot demanded by acclamation had to be held.

The Judge Advocate called the court to order and began anew. The votes
were taken as before, commencing with the young lieutenant, who now
responded sonorously:

"Not guilty!"

And so it ran around the entire circle.

"Not guilty!" "Not guilty!" "Not guilty!" were the hearty responses of
the court.

The acquittal was unanimous. The verdict was recorded.

The doors were then thrown open to the public, and the prisoner called
in and publicly discharged from custody.

The court then adjourned.

Traverse Rocke threw himself upon the bosom of his friend, exclaiming
in a broken voice:

"I cannot sufficiently thank you! My dear mother and Clara will do
that!"

"Nonsense!" said Herbert laughing; "didn't I tell you that the Lord
reigns, and the devil is a fool? This is only the beginning of
victories!"

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE END OF THE WAR.

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths,
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.
Grim-visaged war hath smoothed his wrinkled front,
And now instead of mounting barbed steeds,
To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,
He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber,
To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.

--Shakespeare.

Ten days later Molina-del-Rey, Casa-de-Mata, and Chapultepec had
fallen! The United States forces occupied the city of Mexico, General
Scott was in the Grand Plaza, and the American standard waved above the
capital of the Montezumas!

Let those who have a taste for swords and muskets, drums and trumpets,
blood and fire, describe the desperate battles and splendid victories
that led to this final magnificent triumph!

My business lies with the persons of our story, to illustrate whom I
must pick out a few isolated instances of heroism in this glorious
campaign.

Herbert Greyson's division was a portion of the gallant Eleventh that
charged the Mexican batteries on Molina-del-Rey. He covered his name
with glory, and qualified himself to merit