hed, and the money was found hidden in his revolver holster."

"In the holster, say ye?" demanded Sergeant Kelly, with a flash of his
eyes. The next words he uttered came in a shout:

"Binns, ye lop-sided shadow of a rookie!" he bellowed.

"Here, Sarge," answered a soldier, across a row of tents. "And what's
got on your temper, Sarge?"

"Come here and ye'll be finding out!" growled Kelly, making a grab for
the soldier. He caught that mystified fighting man, and, without a word,
dragged him before Captain Foster.

"Salute the captain, ye deaf-mute!" ordered Kelly, letting go of the
soldier and bringing his own hand up smartly to the brim of his cap.

"What's the meaning of these lightning tactics, Sergeant?" demanded
Captain Foster.

"The meaning is, sir," ran on Kelly rapidly, "that I want this man to
tell you something."

"What is it, my man?" demanded the captain.

"I don't know, sir," confessed Private Binns. "You'll have to ask
Sergeant Kelly, sir."

"Binns," exploded Kelly, "you and me was standing at the stern on the
captured motor boat for a spell, last night."

"We was--_were_," admitted Binns.

"Tell the captain what we saw when we looked down into the cabin, out of
the darkness."

"Why we saw Ruggles handling Lieutenant Overton's revolver, in its
holster," continued Private Binns.

"Now, what did the fellow Ruggles, do with the holster?" continued
Sergeant Kelly severely.

"We saw him open the flap."

"And then?"

"Ruggles closed it again," stated Binns.

"Did we see him put anything in the holster?" cried Sergeant Kelly.

"Yes," admitted the soldier.

"What did it look like?"

"Paper--perhaps money," replied Binns slowly.

"D'ye think ye begin to see a light, Captain?" flashed Sergeant Kelly
triumphantly. Then he turned to the soldier once more with:

"What did Ruggles do next?"

"He put the holster down and got up."

"How did he look?" pressed Kelly.

"Pleased, he looked. He grinned and muttered something quickly."

"Now, all that, Captain, sir, I'll swear to myself," continued the
sergeant, turning in triumph to Captain Foster.

"Why didn't you tell me all this before?" demanded Captain Foster, while
Hal stood by, all a-quiver, yet too full of emotion to speak.

"Because, sir, 'twas only a minute ago that I knew there'd be anything
in our news. Binns and myself thought that Ruggles, when he picked up
the lieutenant's revolver, had some notion of blowing out his brains.