s died away than the woman turned on her
patient, now struggling to a sitting posture.

"Lie still, you thafe and cur, and swear you to every word I say, unless
you'd hang in his place. Dhrink this, now, and go to slape, and be riddy
to tell the story I give ye in the mornin', or may the knife ye drove in
that poor mummy's throat come back to cut your coward heart out."

And Doyle, shivering, sobbing, crazed with drink and fear, covered his
eyes with his hands and threw himself back on his hot and steaming
pillow.

The morning sun rose brilliant and cloudless as the horses of the
battery came forth from the dark interior of the stable and, after
watering at the long wooden trough on the platform, were led away by
their white-frocked grooms, each section to its own picket-line. Ferry,
supervising the duty, presently caught sight of the tall muscular form
of his captain coming briskly around the corner, little Pierce tripping
along by his side. Cram acknowledged the salute of the battery officer
of the day in hurried fashion.

"Good-morning, Ferry," he said. "Tell me, who were there when you got
Doyle away from that woman yesterday?"

"Only the three, sir,--Mr. and Mrs. Doyle and the negro girl."

"No sign of anybody else?"

"None, sir. I didn't go in the house at all. I rode in the gate and
called for Doyle to come out. The woman tried to parley, but I refused
to recognize her at all, and presently Doyle obeyed without any trouble
whatever, though she kept up a tirade all the time and said he was too
sick to ride, and all that, but he wasn't. He seemed dazed, but not
drunk,--certainly not sick. He rode all right, only he shivered and
crossed himself and moaned when he passed the Lascelles place, for that
hound pup set up a howl just as we were opposite the gate. He was all
trembling when we reached the post, and took a big drink the moment he
got to his room."

"Ye-es, he's been drinking ever since. I've just sent the doctor to see
him. Let the corporal and one man of the guard go with the ambulance to
escort Mrs. Doyle out of the garrison and take her home. She shall not
stay."

"Why, she's gone, sir," said Ferry. "The guard told me she went out of
the back gate and up the track towards Anatole's--going for all she was
worth--just after dawn."

"The mischief she has! What can have started her? Did you see her
yourself, Sergeant Bennett?" asked the captain of a stocky little Irish
soldier standing at the mom