g to his
comrade's side.

"Naturally," was the answer. "He had hoped much from this visit. The boy
was just under twenty-one when he enlisted, and, as his father's consent
was lacking, a discharge could have been ordered. It may have been fear
of that that drove the youngster off. Where is the carriage--and your
glass?" continued the colonel, looking about until he found a binocular.

"Comin' right down the road back of the officers' tents. Reckon it's
another visit of condolence to Gray. You know I shouldn't wonduh if this
arrest of his proved a blessin' in disguise for that lucky boy."

No reply coming to this observation, Gordon glanced over his shoulder.
Armstrong was replacing the glasses. Again the adjutant hazarded.

"I--I was sayin' this arrest may be, after all, the biggest kind of
blessing in disguise for that lucky Billy. _Yes_, by Jove! They're comin'
to his tent. _That's_ a splendid girl, ole man!"

"Miss--Prime, you mean?" calmly queried Armstrong, striking match after
match in the effort to light a fresh cigar, his face averted.

"Miss Prime I _don't_ mean," answered Gordon, glancing curiously at the
senior officer. "Not but that she's a most charming young lady and all
that," he hurriedly interpolated, Southern chivalry asserting itself.
Then with a twitch about the lip: "By the way, ole man, those cigars
light better from the other end. Take a fresh one."

Armstrong quickly withdrew the ill-used weed from between his strong,
white teeth, gave it one glance, and a toss into the waste-basket.

"No, I've smoked enough. But how can they see him? How about that sentry
over Gray's tent?"

"Huh! Chief made him take it off directly he heard of it," grinned
Gordon. "Moses! But didn't Squeers blaspheme!" And the adjutant threw his
head back and laughed joyously over the retrospect. "Yes, there's that
curly pate of Billy's at the tent door now. Reckon he was expectin' 'em.
There they are, ole Prime, too. Don't be in a hurry, colonel."

They had known each other years, these two, and it had been "Armstrong"
and "Gordon" when they addressed each other, or "ole man" when Gordon
lapsed into the semi-affectionate. To the adjutant's Southern sense of
military propriety "ole man" was still possible. "Armstrong" would be a
soldierly solecism.

"I am to see the General before noon," said Armstrong gravely, "and it's
time I started. If you should hear of your runaway let me know. If you
shouldn't, keep our views