lied
Beall.

So Hal was silent, though he could hardly escape the feeling that he was
being treated a good deal like a suspected criminal. Though he knew that
he was innocent of any wrong-doing in connection with the excitement of
the night before he could not help feeling undefined dread.

Lieutenant Wright speedily returned to his office, taking his seat at
his desk. Hal was summoned and made to stand at attention before the
adjutant.

"Now, Private Overton," began the adjutant, fixing a frigid gaze on the
rookie, "you may as well tell me all you know about last night's
business."

Hal quickly told the little that he knew.

"Come, come, my man," retorted Lieutenant Wright, "that much won't do.
Out with the rest of it."

"There isn't any 'rest of it' that I know of, sir," Private Hal answered
respectfully.

"Now, my man----"

With that preliminary Lieutenant Wright proceeded to put the young
recruit through a severe, grilling cross-examination. But Hal kept his
head through it all, insisting that he had told all he knew.

"Overton," rapped in the adjutant, at last, "you are very new to the
Army, and you don't appear to realize all the facilities we have for
compelling men to speak. If you remain obtuse any longer, it may be
necessary for me to order you to the guard-house under confinement."

"I am very sorry, Lieutenant," Hal replied, flushing, "that you will not
believe me. On my word of honor as a soldier I have told you all that I
know of the matter."

The adjutant bent forward, looking keenly into the rookie's eyes. Hal
did not flinch, returning the gaze steadily, respectfully.

Then, in a somewhat less gruff tone, Lieutenant Wright continued:

"That is all for the present, Private Overton. Report to your company
commander, at once."

The adjutant and sergeant-major left headquarters a moment later, going
by a different path. As Hal glanced down the parade ground he saw the
men out of ranks, though every man was still close to his place.

"Major," reported the adjutant, after the exchange of salutes between
the officers, "Private Overton denies having left the squad room in the
early hours this morning. For that matter, sir, if he had not been
honest, he need not have reported that he was out of his bed, or that he
heard the sentries' shots."

"It was well he did admit that much," replied the major, "for he let it
out at company mess this morning."

"I went at the young recruit, sir, so seve