s, for the preliminary examination, as it might
be called, was to take place at ten o'clock.

The dead man was of their own grade, and an ugly story had gone like
wildfire through the barracks and quarters that his slayer was a
commissioned officer, an aide-de-camp of the general himself, a scion of
a distinguished and wealthy family of the greatest city of America, and
all official influence, presumably, would be enlisted in his behalf.
Therefore, silent, yet determined, were they present in strong force,
not in disrespect, not in defiance, but with that calm yet indomitable
resolution to see for themselves that justice was done, that soldiers of
no other than the Anglo-Saxon race could ever imitate, or that officers,
not American, could ever understand, appreciate, and even tacitly
approve.

The dead man had died instantly, not in the flush and glory of battle,
but in the lonely, yet most honorable, discharge of the sacred duty of
the sentinel. Murder most foul was his, and had he been well-nigh a
pariah among them,--a man set apart from his kind,--the impulse of his
fellow-soldiers would have been to see to it that his death at such a
time and on such a duty went not unavenged. As it was, the man who lay
there, already stiff and cold, was known among them as one of the
bravest, brightest spirits of their whole array, a lad of birth probably
more gentle than that of many an officer, of gifts of mind and character
superior to those of not a few superiors, a fellow who had won their
fellowship as easily as he had learned the duties of the soldier.

A whole battalion in the regulars and dozens of gallant boys in the
Idahos and North Dakotas knew Billy Benton and had been full of sympathy
when he was picked up one night some three weeks previous, his head laid
open by a powerful blow from some blunt instrument, bleeding and
senseless. Even when released from hospital a fortnight later he was
dazed and queer, was twice reported out of quarters over night and
absent from roll-call, but was forgiven because of "previous character,"
and the belief that he was really not responsible for these soldier
solecisms.

One thing seemed to worry him, and that was, as he admitted, that he had
been robbed of some papers that he valued. But he soon seemed "all right
again," said his fellows, at least to the extent of resuming duty, and
when, clean-shaved and in his best attire, he marched on guard that glad
October morning, they were