all.

All day Tuesday Davies was occupied in getting his furniture and traps
into Number 12, and Almira--pretty as a picture, and eagerly assisted by
her now intimate friends, Mesdames Flight and Darling--was tacking up
curtains, brackets, and knickknacks. Army women have a gift of making
even a burrow look cheery and attractive, though they do accumulate an
amount of truck that becomes embarrassing in the inevitable event of a
move. On Wednesday, however, as has been said, his week of troop duty
was to begin, and at gun-fire he was up and dressed and ready for
business. Devers did not come down to stables. The first sergeant made
the various reports in somewhat off-hand and perfunctory style, but
Davies took, apparently, no notice of his manner, and, joining Captain
Cranston as soon as he had inspected the stables on the return of the
horses to their stalls, the two friends strolled slowly up the winding
road to the parade, the last officers to return homeward. Sick-call was
sounding as they passed the barracks, and Captain Devers met them on the
walk. Both officers saluted the post-commander, Davies in silence,
Cranston with an accompanying "Good-morning, sir." Devers responded in
the briefest possible way and went at once to business.

"Mr. Davies, that man Brannan will be returned to the troop from
hospital this morning. See that he is immediately confined in the
guard-house." And then, with his orderly following, the commander went
his way. Sergeant Haney was standing not forty yards away on the
barrack-porch awaiting his captain's coming. Such instructions were
generally given by the company commander direct to the first sergeant,
and the purpose of making Davies the medium and Cranston the witness of
the order was apparent at a glance. Devers meant to inflict his
punishment not only upon the soldier, but upon those who dared either in
person or through some "member of the household" appear as the
soldier's friend.

"What should I do, captain?" asked Davies, sadly. "Turn and carry the
order to the first sergeant at once?"

Cranston looked back, saw Devers halt to say some words to the troop
farrier, and seized the opportunity.

"Yes, and I will go with you to be ready to testify to your having
obeyed."

Retracing their steps, the two approached the quarters. "Go no farther,"
said Cranston, in low tone, as they got about half-way and were close to
where Devers stood. "Call the sergeant to you here." Davies d