tain Prescott
released it, Captain Cartwright struck at him. The blow was parried,
and Captain Cartwright struck once more. That blow was also parried,
and Captain Cartwright went to the floor."

"Do you concur in that, Captain Cartwright?" asked the K.O.

"Yes, sir."

"By the way, Captain Prescott," went on Colonel Cleaves, handing
him a small piece of paper, "can you account for this?"

As Dick Prescott took the paper and glanced at it he felt himself
turning almost dizzy in bewilderment.

CHAPTER IV

AS IT IS DONE IN THE ARMY

"That is your handwriting, is it not, Captain Prescott?" demanded
the regimental commander.

"It looks just like my handwriting, sir, but I'll swear that I
never wrote it," declared astonished Dick, still staring at the
little piece of paper.

"Yet it resembles your handwriting?"

"Yes, sir. If I didn't know positively that I didn't write any
such message then I'd be about ready to admit that it is my handwriting.
But I didn't write it, sir."

"Pass it to Captain Holmes. I will ask him if he has seen this
note before."

"No, sir," declared Greg, very positively, though he, too, was
startled, for it was hard to persuade himself that he was not
looking down at his chum's familiar handwriting.

The note read:

_"Dear H. Stick to what we agreed upon, and we can cook C's goose
without trouble. P."_

"May I speak, sir?" asked Dick.

"Yes, Captain."

"Then I desire to say, sir, that I have not the least desire to
see Captain Cartwright in any trouble. Hence, it would have been
impossible for me to think of writing such a note. More, sir,
it would have been stupid of me to risk writing such a note, for
Captain Holmes and I sat in my quarters until it was time for
us to leave on our way to our respective company offices."

"And while in your quarters did you discuss this affair of your
trouble with Captain Cartwright?"

"To the best of my recollection, sir, we did not mention it," Dick
declared.

"Is that your recollection, Captain Holmes?"

"Yes, sir."

"And this is not your handwriting, Captain Prescott?"

"I give you my word of honor, sir, that I did not write it, and
did not even discuss the matter with Captain Holmes."

"I do not understand this note in the least," Colonel Cleaves
went on. "Of course, Captain Prescott, I am bound to accept your
assurance that you did not write this. I do not know how the
note came here; all I know about it is th