with abounding energy and ambition; the close friend and
boon companion of Colonel Leighton, he naturally had become his second
in command. Barry was especially delighted to observe Major Bayne, whom
he had not seen since his first meeting with him some months ago on the
Red Pine Trail. Captain Neil Fraser and Lieutenant Stewart Duff were the
only officers about the table whom he recognised, except that, among
the junior lieutenants, he caught the face of young Duncan Cameron, the
oldest son of his superintendent, and a fine, clean-looking young fellow
he appeared.

Altogether Barry was strongly attracted by the clean, strong faces about
him. He would surely soon find good friends among them, and he only
hoped he might be able to be of some service to them.

The young fellow on his right introduced himself as Captain Hopeton.
He was a young English public school boy, who, though a failure as a
rancher, had proved an immense success in the social circles of the
city. Because of this, and also of his family connections "at home," he
had been appointed to a Civil Service position. A rather bored manner
and a supercilious air spoiled what would otherwise have been a handsome
and attractive face.

After a single remark about the "beastly bore" of military duty, Hopeton
ignored Barry, giving such attention as he had to spare from his dinner
to a man across the table, with whom, apparently, he had shared some
rather exciting social experiences in the city.

For the first half hour of the meal, the conversation was of the most
trivial nature, and was to Barry supremely uninteresting. "Shop talk"
was strictly taboo, and also all reference to the war. The thin stream
of conversation that trickled from lip to lip ran the gamut of sport,
spiced somewhat highly with society scandal which, even in that little
city, appeared to flourish.

To Barry it was as if he were in a strange land and among people of a
strange tongue. Of sport, as understood by these young chaps, he knew
little, and of scandal he was entirely innocent; so much so that many
of the references that excited the most merriment were to him utterly
obscure. After some attempts to introduce topics of conversation which
he thought might be of mutual interest, but which had fallen quite flat,
Barry gave up, and sat silent with a desolating sense of loneliness
growing upon his spirit.

"After the port," when smoking was permitted, he was offered a cigarette
by Hopeto