as on hand, and Ray
really did not need, and probably had not applied for, the services of
Mr. Field. It was all the major's doing, and all, reasoned he, because
the major deemed it best that for the time being his young adjutant
should be sent away from the post. Impulse prompted Field to ask wherein
he had offended or failed. Reflection taught him, however, that he would
be wise to ask no questions. It might well be that Webb knew more of
what had happened during the night than he, Beverly Field, would care to
have mentioned.

"You can be ready, can you not?" asked the major.

"I am ready now, sir," was the brief, firm reply, but the tone told
unerringly that the lad resented and in heart rebelled at the detail.
"To whom shall I turn over the post fund, sir?"

"I do not care to have you transfer funds or--anything, Field. This is
but a temporary affair, one that will take you away perhaps a
fortnight."

"I prefer that it should be permanent, sir," was the young officer's
sudden interruption, and, though his eyes were blazing, he spoke with
effort, his face still white with mingled sense of indignity and
indignation.

"Gently, Mr. Field," said Webb, with unruffled calm, even while
uplifting a hand in quiet warning. "We will consider that, if need be,
on your return. Meantime, if you desire, I will receipt to you for the
post fund or any other public money."

"That is the trouble, sir. The best I can do is give you an order for
it. Post treasurers, as a rule, have not had to turn over their funds at
four o'clock in the morning," which statement was true enough, however
injudicious it might be to bruit it. Mild-mannered commanding officers
sometimes amaze their subordinates by most unlooked for and unwelcome
eruptiveness of speech when they feel that an unwarrantable liberty has
been taken. Webb did not take fire. He turned icy.

"The quartermaster's safe can be opened at any moment, Mr. Field," said
he, the blue gray eyes glittering, dangerously. "I presume your funds
are there."

"It was because the quartermaster would _not_ open it at any moment that
I took them out and placed them elsewhere," hotly answered Field, and
not until then did Webb remember that there had been quite a fiery talk,
followed by hyperborean estrangement, between his two staff officers,
and now, as the only government safe at the post was in the office of
the quartermaster, and the only other one was Bill Hay's big "Phoenix"
at the st