Archer gravely. "Now, had anything happened--had anything
been said or done to account for his--sensitiveness, we will call it?"

Malloy hesitated. "The general understands, I hope, that I am answering
only as to impressions. I might be mistaken as to his meaning, and he
might have been mistaken as to the meaning of the officer in the case."

"Then there has been a case? When and where?"

There was impressive silence in the dimly lighted mess room as the
impromptu council sat about the table, Turner, with the relics of his
hearty supper, at the other end of it. Every man present seemed to feel
that here at last the clew to 'Tonio's double dealing was to be found.
The answer came readily enough:

"At Bennett's Ranch, sir, the night it was burnt."

"Why--what happened there?" And Archer was evidently surprised.

"'Tonio said he was insulted before his own people--called a
liar--struck with a gauntlet."

"Struck? 'Tonio? A chief, and a son of a chief--of a line of chiefs, in
fact! Why, what man could have been--mad enough to do that?"

There was just a suspicion of satire, of humor, of possible malice in
the answer, yet every one familiar with the traditions and the
vocabulary--the nomenclature--of the old army of the old days, knew
well the sergeant was well within his rights. Respect and regret
intermingled were in tone and word as in his answer, all unwittingly,
Malloy furnished the missing motive for 'Tonio's crime:

"It wasn't one of the men, sir. It was Lieutenant--Lieutenant Willett."

Then for a moment there was another silence. Bonner, Briggs and Strong
exchanged quick glances. Archer's fine, clear-cut face took on a deeper
shade, then he turned his chair to squarely face the sergeant.

"Did he explain--how it came about?"

"'Tonio said that he wished to go, and ought to go, with Lieutenant
Harris--the lieutenant was his chief. Lieutenant Willett forbade, as I
understand, and ordered him to stay, and he had to get Lieutenant
Harris himself to explain the order before 'Tonio would obey. Then
'Tonio says the lieutenant ordered him to do something, I could not
tell what. 'Tonio answered by telling Lieutenant Willett not to step on
some moccasin tracks, and the lieutenant surely couldn't have
understood him, for he grew very angry and--but, indeed, general, it's
more than I know that I've been telling----"

But Archer had one more question to ask, and asked it, and when it was
answered the council broke