am your commanding officer. A charge has been made
that apparently destroys your honor. Some seeming proof against you has
been found. There is only one course open to me. I must detain you in
camp until I have communicated through the usual military channels."

"Am--am I under arrest?" asked Hal somewhat huskily.

"No, no, Overton!" exclaimed the older soldier quickly. "But you must
give me your parole--not to go beyond camp limits at any time or for any
purpose without my express permission."

"You have my parole, sir. It shall be rigidly observed."

"And now, Mr. Overton, I suggest that, as you have nothing else to do,
you lie down and sleep through the night."

"_Sleep_, sir?" echoed Lieutenant Hal bitterly.

"Rest, then, at all events."

For two or three hours the Army boy lay and tossed. Toward morning,
however, he secured some real sleep. When he opened his eyes it was to
find Noll in the tent.

"I've heard the news, old bunkie," cried Terry, coming forward as soon
as he saw his comrade's eyes open. "All rot! Forget it. It'll come out
all right. When Prescott and Holmes heard the news they laughed aloud
over the absurdity of it."

"I wish I was as sure of every one's faith in me," quivered the Army
boy, returning his chums' hand-grip.

"Get up and dress. Captain Foster has had his meal, but the others are
all waiting for you to hurry through to the table."

Three other young officers had crowded into the tent before Hal had
finished dressing.

"The whole thing is absurd, Overton," declared Lieutenant Dick Prescott.
"Holmesy and I have told Captain Foster so. We had you under our eyes in
the Thirty-fourth during most of your more than three years of service.
We know you too well to believe a word of any such fool charge against
you."

"Even in the face of the money found in my holster?" asked Hal smiling
wistfully.

"Huh!" retorted Lieutenant Greg Holmes. "It wouldn't shake our belief in
you, old man, if the whole United States Treasury had been found hiding
in your holster! Now, forget it all, as well as you can, Overton. Leave
it to your friends, who will be cooler-headed, to find the way out from
under this toy cloud. Why, even Foster knows it's all so absurd that he
doesn't order you under arrest."

"Thank you all, fellows," replied Hal, his eyes gleaming as he shook
hands with all three of his Army comrades and with the friend from the
Navy. "I'll brace and fight every inch of the way. But,