de them carry him to his own room, where there would be
better light, and while some of them laid him on Craney's bed and
others carefully scouted the surrounding willows for trace of the
assassin, and others still went in and stirred up Case, sleeping
heavily, stupidly, "like a hog," said an indignant few until told of
the doctor's "dope." Then Bentley came and drove all but an attendant
or two, and Strong and Craney, from the room, until the general
arrived, his own face ashen, to ask what hope was left, got but a
dubious headshake in reply, and then sat him down, buried his sorrowing
white head in his hands, and began to upbraid himself:

"It's all my fault--my doing," said he. "I see it all. I said the words
that sent him!"

And then to Bentley and Craney the veteran soldier told his story. He
had had difficulty, as Bentley knew, in persuading Harris not to get
up--not to attempt to find 'Tonio that night; to wait until day, when
the Indian more easily might be reached. It was late when he left
Harris, and was surprised to see lights at the office. There, all
alone, was Willett, writing, and to Willett Archer told the message of
the feather, and of Harris's eagerness to find 'Tonio at once.

"Harris still holds that 'Tonio is utterly wronged, or at least utterly
misunderstood," said he, "and that, Indian as he is, 'Tonio would not
revenge himself on you as we supposed. 'Tonio knows he is suspected of
the attempt to kill you, and yet wishes to come in and be tried. All he
asks is fair play and trial before Crook himself. Then," continued
Archer, "I asked Willett in so many words if it were true that he had
struck 'Tonio with a gauntlet that night at Bennett's, and he said,
reluctantly, it was--that 'Tonio had been insolent, insubordinate, that
that was the way he had always dealt with such cases. Perhaps with men
like 'Tonio it was all wrong, but he had never met Indians like 'Tonio
before. I told him gravely that he had made a serious error, and that
he should lose no time in getting word to 'Tonio that he realized this
and desired to make amend. Willett said he would do it the very first
time they met--that he knew how to bring 'Tonio in and would talk to
him, man to man. I told him that it would be well to do this before
quitting the valley, on his way out in the morning, perhaps. But, my
God!" continued poor Archer, as he glanced at the senseless form over
which physician and attendants were still working, "I n