d limb carefully. He had something of his
father's ability for such things combined with his mother's gentle touch.

"Let me bind it up a little while you tell me about Grass River. Then hie
thee to a hospital," he said.

"There's nothing new, except that Dr. Carey has gone West for a
vacation and John Jacobs is raising cain over at Wykerton because a hired
hand, just a waif of an orphan boy, got drunk in Hans Wyker's joint
and fell into Big Wolf and was drowned. Funny thing about it was that
Darley Champers came out against Wyker for the first time. It may go
hard with the old Dutchman yet. Jim Shirley isn't very well, but he never
complains, you know. Jo Bennington was wild to have me enlist. I
suppose some pretty University girl was backing you all the time," Todd
said enthusiastically.

"The only pretty girl I care for didn't want me to go to the war at all,"
Thaine replied, staring gloomily out at the rain.

"Well, why do you go, then?" Todd inquired.

"Oh, she doesn't specially care for me here, either," Thaine replied.
"Girls don't control this game for me. But we have some princes of men
here all right."

"As for instance?" Todd queried.

"My captain, Adna Clarke, and his lieutenants, Krause and Alford. They
were first to enlist in our company down in the old rink at Lawrence.
Captain Clarke is the kind of a man who makes you feel like straightening
right up to duty when you see him coming, and he is so genial in his
discipline it is not like discipline. Lieutenant Krause fits in with
him--hand and glove. But, Todd," Thaine went on enthusiastically, "if you
meet a man on this campground with the face of a gentleman, the manners of
a soldier, a smile like sunshine after a dull day in February, and a, well
a sort of air about him that makes you feel he's your friend and that
doing a kind act is the only thing a fellow should ever think of
doing--that's Lieutenant Alford. There are some fine University boys here
and we have all packed up our old Kansas University yell, 'Rock Chalk!
Jay Hawk! K U!' to use on the Spanish. We'll make them learn to run
whenever they hear that yell. The whole regiment is a credit to Kansas, if
we haven't the clothes right now. You are rather a disreputable looking
old mudball yourself. Let's try to get to the hospital tent."

Thaine lifted Todd Stewart to his feet, and as they started up the slushy
way to the hospital tent, he said:

"Yonder is Lieutenant Alford now."

A you