"He didn't do that, Sloat. I had already questioned the sentry on that
relief. It was the third that I inspected and visited this morning."

"Well, how do you know he wanted to go to town? Why couldn't he have
gone up the river, or out to the range? Perhaps there was a little game
of 'draw' out at camp."

"There was no light in camp, much less a little game of draw, after
eleven o'clock. You know well enough that there is nothing of that kind
going on with Gaines in command. That isn't Jerrold's game, even if
those fellows _were_ bent on ruining their eyesight and nerve and
spoiling the chance of getting the men on the division and army teams. I
wish it _were_ his game, instead of what it is!"

"Still, Chester, he may have been out in the country somewhere. You seem
bent on the conviction he was up to mischief here, around this post. I
won't ask you what you mean; but there's more than one way of getting to
town if a man wants to very bad."

"How? Of course he can take a skiff and row down the river; but he'd
never be back in time for reveille. There goes six o'clock, and I must
get home and shave and think this over. Keep your own counsel, no matter
who asks you. If you hear any questions or talk about shooting last
night, you know nothing, heard nothing, and saw nothing."

"Shooting last night!" exclaimed Sloat, all agog with eagerness and
excitement now. "Where was it? Who was it?"

But Chester turned a deaf ear upon him, and walked away. He wanted to
see Rollins, and went straight home.

"Why didn't you tell me Miss Beaubien was out here last night?" was the
question he asked as soon as he had entered the room where, all aglow
from his cold bath, the youngster was dressing for breakfast. He colored
vividly, then laughed.

"Well, you never gave me much chance to say anything, did you? You
talked all the time, as I remember, and suddenly vanished and slammed
the door. I would have told you had you asked me." But all the same it
was evident for the first time that here was a subject Rollins was shy
of mentioning.

"Did you go down and see them across sentry post?"

"Certainly. Jerrold asked me to. He said he had to take Miss Renwick
home, and was too tired to come back,--was going to turn in. I was glad
to do anything to be civil to the Suttons."

"Why, I'd like to know? They have never invited you to the house or
shown you any attention whatever. You are not their style at all,
Rollins, and I'm glad of