mrades. Their gratitude and admiration took forms
that proved poor Harry's undoing, and besides some of them took an
unholy joy in sending the chaplain's batman to his officer incapable of
service.

Barry's indignation and grief were beyond words. He dealt faithfully
with the erring Hobbs, as his minister, as his officer, as chaplain, but
the downward drag of his environment proved too great for his batman's
powers of resistance. Once and again Barry sought the aid of the
sergeant major to rescue Harry from his downward course, but the old
sergeant major was unimpressed with the account of Harry's lapses.

"Is your batman unfit for duty, sir?" he inquired.

"Yes, he is, often," said Barry indignantly.

"Did you report him, sir?" inquired the sergeant major.

"No, I did not."

"Then, sir, I am afraid that until you do your duty I can do nothing,"
answered the sergeant major, with suave respect.

"If you did your duty," Barry was moved to say, "then Hobbs would not
need to be reported. The regulations governing that canteen should
prevent these frequent examples of drunkenness, which are a disgrace to
the battalion."

"Do I understand, sir," inquired the sergeant major, with quiet respect,
"that you are accusing me of a failure in duty?"

"I am saying that if the regulations were observed my batman and
others would not be so frequently drunk, and the enforcing of these
regulations, I understand, is a part of your duty."

"Then, sir," replied the sergeant major, "perhaps I had better report
myself to the Commanding Officer."

"You can please yourself," said Barry, shortly, as he turned away.

"Very good, sir," replied the sergeant major. "I shall report myself at
once."

The day following, the chaplain received an order to appear before the
O. C. in the orderly room.

"Captain Dunbar, I understand that you are making a charge against
Sergeant Major McFetteridge," was Colonel Leighton's greeting.

"I am making no charge against any one, sir," replied Barry quietly.

"What do you say to that, Sergeant Major McFetteridge?"

In reply, the sergeant major gave a full and fair statement of the
passage between the chaplain and himself the day before.

"Is this correct, Captain Dunbar?" asked the O. C.

"Substantially correct, sir, except that the sergeant major is here on
his own suggestion, and on no order of mine."

"Then I understand that you withdraw your charge against the sergeant
major."

"I withd