er the saw. Hinkey, between
the teeth is quite a little bit of what looks mighty like spruce
sawdust. Queer, ain't it?"

"I don't know," replied Private Hinkey, speaking bravely, though his
face now looked bloodless and his lips were quivering.

"Spruce sawdust in the saw you handled," continued Slosson mercilessly.
"And say, the saw cut in the log over at the gully was pasted with
putty, and then bark bits stuck on, to hide the cut. Wasn't that the way
it was done?"

"How should I know?" snarled Private Hinkey, trying to glare back into
the accusing eyes of Private Slosson.

"Why I asked," continued the latter soldier, "was because I've just been
taking a look at the service clothes you wore this morning, and I find
putty marks in several places on the trousers."

Hinkey realized that he had been unmasked. Moreover, only one look into
Slosson's eyes was needed for making sure that the accusing soldier was
not going to keep still about it.

With a sudden snarl of rage, Hinkey sprang forward, driving his hard
right fist squarely into Slosson's left eye and knocking that soldier
down.

Then, without loss of a second, Hinkey made a dive for the nearest gate
of the grounds. As he ran at top speed Private Hinkey then and there, so
far as he was personally concerned, ended his connection with the
regular Army of the United States.

Private Slosson, holding his eye and feeling weak and dizzy, shouted:

"Some one run after Hinkey, B Company, and catch him!"

The call brought several men, among them Lieutenant Hampton, of B
Company.

"What has Hinkey done?" demanded the lieutenant, running up.

"He knocked me down, and then deserted, sir."

"Why, my man?"

"Because he fixed the tree trunk in the way that nearly cost Sergeant
Overton his life, and I just showed Hinkey that I had all the proof.
You'll not see the fellow again, sir, unless you're swift."

Lieutenant Hampton bounded to the gateway. Down the street he saw
Private Hinkey, running like a deer and already near a street corner.

Hal Overton was the only sergeant close enough for the lieutenant's
purpose.

"Sergeant Overton, take four men, pursue Hinkey and bring him back
here," ordered Lieutenant Hampton.

Hal reached the gateway just in time to see Hinkey running around the
street corner.

In a twinkling Hal and four soldiers were hot-foot after the suspected
deserter.

But Hinkey was out of sight now. As he reached the middle of the block
in