s talk with
Corporal Zook.

Ten minutes later and he was tapping at McLean's door. It was opened by
the hospital attendant,--slowly and only a few inches.

"Can I see the lieutenant?" he asked.

"I am very sorry," whispered the man, mindful of the visitor's
prodigality in the past and hopeful of future favors. "I have strict
orders to admit nobody to-night until the doctor sees him again. The
lieutenant isn't so well, sir, and Dr. Bayard had to administer
sedatives before he left. I think he is sleeping just now, though he
may only be trying to."

Holmes paused, reluctant and a little irresolute.

"Is there nothing I can do or say, sir, if he wakes?" asked the
attendant.

"Can you give him a letter and say nothing about it to anybody?"

"Certainly I can,--if it's one that won't harm him."

"It will do him good, unless I'm mistaken; and he ought to have it
to-night: he'll sleep better for it. I'll give it to you at
tattoo.--Ah, Robert! I might have known you'd be in search of me and
that I was delaying dinner. Say I'll be there instantly."

Meantime, Sergeant Freeman had reported to Major Miller as directed,
and was standing attention, cap in hand, at that officer's desk, while
the adjutant was scratching away across the room, his pen racing over
the paper as he copied the despatch his commander had slowly and
thoughtfully dictated.

"You say that Parsons is the best man to send, sergeant?"

"I don't say that, sir, exactly; but he's the lightest man in the troop
and has the fastest horse now in the post. He could make it quicker
than anybody else, but----"

"But what? Doesn't he want to go? Is he afraid?" asked the major,
impatiently.

The sergeant flushed a little, as he promptly answered,--

"It isn't that, sir. He wants to go. There's no man in the troop, sir,
that would be safe in saying he didn't want to go."

"Then why do you hesitate?"

"Because we don't know Parsons well, sir; he hasn't been with us more'n
a year. He was Lieutenant Blunt's striker till the lieutenant was
wounded, but Captain Terry had him returned to the troop because we
were so short of men and had so much scouting to do. Then Parsons got
into the office as company clerk, and that's where he is now, sir. He
writes a fine hand and seemed to know all about papers."

"Where had he served before joining you?" asked the major.

"Nowhere, sir. He says he learned what he knows in the adjutant's
office at St. Louis barracks, wher