his whole past, of his desertion, of his danger,--a man who
was himself about enlisting for service in the Philippines, and who
persuaded him that his surest way to win exemption from punishment was
to hasten after the detachment, beat it, if possible, to Manila, and
join it there at his own expense.

He still had some hundreds left. They went to San Francisco, where
Walter took steamer at once for Honolulu to await there the coming of
the recruit detachment. The infantry finally came, his friend with them,
but no sign of more cavalry. To Walter's dismay he had seen among the
passengers landed from the Doric the disguised rough whom, as Sackett,
he had so unfavorably known before, who as Murray had followed him into
the army. It would never do to fall into his clutches again: the man
would betray him instantly. Walter kept in hiding until he heard that
Sackett was accused of stabbing a staff officer of General Vinton and
had fled the island.

Later, when the next troop-ship came, bringing his friend with it, he
again took counsel. As the lad fully admitted, his friend was the same
old chum of Freiburg days--the friend to whom his parents had so much
objected. The fortunes of war had thrown them together, Willard as
impecunious as ever, and the Damon and Pythias, the Orestes and Pylades,
the two Ajaxes of the old days were in close and intimate touch once
more, Damon, as of old, the banker for the twain. The troop-ships were
to proceed as soon as coaled. There were reasons now why Walter wished
to stay in Honolulu, but Willard urged his moving at once on to Hong
Kong and there awaiting the result of his negotiations at Manila. At
Hong Kong it was his hope to receive the word "Come over. All is well,"
and, finally, as his funds would soon run out, he closed his letter with
the request that his mother cable him five hundred dollars through the
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank.

The money she cabled at once, then in dread she had wired Colonel
Martindale, who was gadding about with old army chums when most she
needed him at home, and that gentleman, with a sigh, again went
sisterward, saying he knew the boy was sure to turn up to torment him,
and wondering what on earth young Hopeful had done now. He looked grave
enough when he read the letter, asked for time to communicate
confidentially with a chum at Washington, and was awaiting reply when
all on a sudden the papers came out with this startling despatch telling
of the mur