on to his
stocks--almost the only one at Reno who did--and, for another, on
having such a youngster for second lieutenant. "He has won his spurs,"
said Lee, "before ever he donned his uniform." And there was rejoicing
in the regiment over Lee's description of events, for five of the
younger officers, graduated within three years, knew "Pops" in his
cadet days and remembered him well; and all of the old officers who had
served at Camp Sandy and at Fort Reynolds knew him in babyhood, or
boyhood, or both. So did most of the veteran troopers.

And it is a matter of record that, on the eastward way again, both
McCrea and Geordie dined with Mr. Bonner at the Chicago Club, and the
new major-general commanding the military division graciously accepted
Bonner's bid to be one of the dinner-party, and took Geordie aside
after coffee had been served, noting that the silent young fellow
neither smoked nor touched his wine, and asked him a few questions
about the Point and many about the mines, and at parting the general
was so good as to express the wish that when Geordie came out to join
in September he would stop and see him, all of which was very
flattering to a young fellow just out of cadet gray, and Geordie, as in
duty bound, said that he certainly would, little dreaming how soon--how
very soon--he and the old regiment would be riding hard under the lead
of that hard-riding leader, and facing a foe led by warriors true and
tried--a foe any ten of whom could have made mince-meat of ten times
their number of such foemen as Graham had met at the mines.

How could they, the brave young class, have dreamed, that exquisite
June day of their graduation, that within six months some of their
number were destined to do desperate battle with a desperate band of
the braves of the allied Sioux in the Bad Lands of South Dakota?

For it is also a matter of record that Lieutenant and Quartermaster
McCrea made application, as he had promised, for six months' leave of
absence, with permission to go beyond sea, and with every intention of
spending most of the winter in sunny Italy. But he spent it in saddle
and snowdrift, in scout and skirmish, and in at least one sharp,
stinging, never-to-be-forgotten battle with the combined bands of the
Sioux, and came within an ace of losing his life as well as his leave,
for many a brave soldier and savage warrior fell in that bitter
fight--Geordie Graham's maiden battle. Little wonder he hopes he may
n