nd blowing out
a cloud of smoke in surprise. "You draw a rather fine distinction,
Captain. You saved the colors--_but you failed to save the man!_ You had
better have let him die--as an honorable soldier."

There was silence for a moment, and the General asked: "Is it true that
you were actuated by a debt of gratitude?"

"Yes," answered the Southerner, throwing back his head. "And a greater
debt than I can ever hope to pay. His mercy to--my little girl."

Without relaxing for a moment his grip on the points of the case, no
matter what human elements might be drawn into it, the General instantly
rose and shot out an accusing forefinger at the Confederate.

"And the pass he gave--_to you!_"

Their eyes clashed but the Southerner lowered his own not a whit and
backed them, furthermore, with honest anger.

"_To her!_" he answered, and drove the reply home with clenched jaws.

The General relaxed--and smiled.

"Another fine distinction," he said, resuming his seat. He knocked the
ashes from his cigar and presently looked up with another one of those
terribly vital questions which came so simply from his lips. "Did you
ever penetrate the Federal lines by means of a uniform--of blue?"

The Confederate drew back as he felt the assault on his rights as a
soldier.

"As to that, General Grant, there is--"

"Answer me!" came the sharp command. "'Yes' or 'No'!"

"One moment, General," interrupted Harris, with a lawyer's quick
objection. "If--"

"No interference, Harris," came the curt order. "Answer me, Captain.
'Yes' or 'No'!"

The Southerner's face flushed and he threw back his head with the superb
defiance that General Grant knew so well--which was his one eternal
stumbling block, and due to continue for another full year of blood.

"Under the rulings of court-martial law," the Confederate Captain said
in ringing tones, "I deny even _your_ right to the question."

To the surprise of everyone the General merely nodded.

"That is all, sir. Thank you," he said, and Cary, with a look of
surprise, slowly resumed his seat.

"Mr. Morrison!"

The Union officer rose and saluted.

"As a military servant of the United States Government you were ordered
to pursue this man and take him--dead or alive. In this you failed."

Morrison inclined his head gravely but shot a look of respectful
objection at his superior.

"In part--I failed."

Instantly the accusing forefinger was leveled at him across the desk and
the p