re hiding-places enough if some one had stolen in, like a thief
in the night. The broad contusion on the forehead might have been caused
by some blunt instrument, to be sure, said the senior surgeon, but he
thought it improbable. Only one thing was certain,--Pegleg was knocked
out. It might be several days, possibly a week, before he could resume
duty. Captain Devers came over five minutes after the adjutant left him,
and was profuse in sympathy, sorrow, and proffers of aid. The despatch
sent to Department head-quarters that afternoon was a model of style,
but it did not reach the office until late in the afternoon, so late
that the general had gone home with his chief of staff, and not until
five o'clock was it placed in the hands of the latter, who took it at
once to his commander.

"Whew!" said the chief. "It's bad enough to have Pegleg down, but think
of having Devers up, even for a week."

"I don't see what we can do, sir," was the reply. "The
lieutenant-colonel of the Fortieth is on leave awaiting retirement, the
major on General Sheridan's staff. Major Warren, of the Eleventh, is
abroad, and Devers is the ranking captain."

"Well, let it stand," said the general, after a while. "Leonard will
look after affairs in the Fortieth, and you look after Devers. If he
gets to cutting up any didoes, send him up to the reservation to
investigate the trouble up there; it's something after his own heart, I
reckon,--or send him anywhere, and let the command devolve on the next
captain until Stone's on deck again. Devers says he'll be up in a week."

"That's just what makes me fear he won't be well in a month, and if he
isn't able to resume duty, Devers will say he only meant _sitting_ up in
bed, probably."

No matter what the opinion attaching to Captain Devers, however, the
fact remained that he was now in law and fact commanding officer of the
biggest post in the Platte Valley, and meant to make the most of his
opportunities. Leonard promptly asked to be relieved from duty as
post-adjutant, on the plausible ground that Captain Devers would
doubtless prefer to have one of his own cloth and corps in the office,
and Devers, well knowing how it would reflect upon him at Department
head-quarters, refused to change. "However strained may be our personal
relations, the good of the service demands that for the present they be
ignored. The differences between us can and shall be adjusted later on,"
was the purport of his reply.