sconces and "ola'd,"
for Sanchez, who hurried out to meet them, heard their excited tale,
cashed in his few chips, and took himself and fellows off. "Barkeep"
stuck his head through the port-hole to the adjoining sanctum where sat
Craney, Watts, and that semi-military official known as the "contract
doctor," expectant, possibly, of others coming, and told them of the
"greasers'" doings, whereat Case, nervously, irritably pacing the
floor, looked up in sudden interest and speedily plunged out into the
darkness. Then Bentley had come, just at the time when the few packers
and ranch folk were making a noise, and Case had reappeared, looking
wilder, if anything, and declaring the greasers must have gone down to
the old Sanchez place, Indian or no Indian. Then Bentley had felt his
pulse and asked a lot of questions, and led him off into a corner for a
little talk, and finally had prevailed on him to try to sleep in the
vacant room at the "Shack," as Craney's own log-built cabin was called,
and had led him away thither. He had never fairly gotten over the
recent spree, said Craney. He would never explain what had induced him
that Sunday afternoon to quit his old resort in the willows and go up
to the officers' quarters, but go he had, for "Sudstown" had seen him,
and had seen him later slinking back the longest way round to the
store, keeping far from everybody, and looking badly shaken up. It was
known, somehow, that he had been to the doctor's quarters, and, being
half drunk, had got into Lieutenant Harris's room and there had made
some noise and been ordered out. Rumor had it that there had been a
scene between him and Lieutenant Willett, of which neither would speak,
and the doctor had laid his commands on the attendant to know
absolutely nothing about it--indeed, there was little he did know, save
that there had been a disturbance. It was supposed at the store, and
generally in the garrison, that Case had been drinking just enough to
make him irresponsible, and in this condition he had ventured up to the
post and made an ass of himself just when he was being trumpeted as a
lion. Then, instead of having his spree out he had tried to taper,
hence the highly nervous condition that had followed, which, instead of
getting better, seemed getting worse.

"I've fixed him," said Bentley, "provided he keeps his word," and then,
bidding Craney good-night, had gone to garrison, and found the general
perturbed over Turner's report an