her longer than usual and to no good
purpose. In common with the rest of the garrison, Dwight had heard the
fate of the Canteen, and heard it without remark. An abstemious man, he
preferred that others should be the same, but other far more pressing
matters were uppermost in his mind; matters here at Minneconjou--matters
in far-away Mexico, where an importunate father-in-law, after making
ducks and drakes of the thousands liberally supplied him, was now
demanding more, or "all would be lost." Then it transpired that a lawyer
in town had been retained, by certain of that father-in-law's creditors,
to press Major Dwight for payment of the same, or with evidence of
fraudulent doings on part of Mr. Farrell. To meet this lawyer, Dwight
had ridden to town right after drill, and up to noon had not returned.
Foster and Mrs. Dwight, driving thither in the pretty phaeton, with the
pygmy tiger, were surprised, possibly disconcerted--to see his orderly
with the two horses patiently waiting in front of the office. Possibly
that had something to do with their return soon after twelve o'clock.
Possibly there was design in Foster's selection of that hour of the day
to visit the office of the post Exchange, still in active operation
along all its accustomed lines, awaiting official orders, so far as
comforting fluids were concerned, to close. At all events, there were no
witnesses to a scene,--and but few to certain very audible words,--that
became memorable in the chronicles of Fort Minneconjou from that day
forth.

It will be remembered that Priscilla saw the meeting between the post
commander and his Exchange officer, and their move in company toward the
townward gate. But at that distance it was not to be expected that she
could see the deep concern in the colonel's face or hear anything of the
conversation that passed between them. It was barely an hour since their
brief interview at the office. The colonel then looked solemn enough,
but now the concern and smoldering wrath in his deep-set eyes exceeded
anything his adjutant had ever seen or that Sandy Ray deemed possible in
a soldier usually so placid and philosophical.

"Come with me, Mr. Ray," said Stone, in the hearing of the listening
men. "There's a matter I want to talk over." Then, once fairly out of
earshot, and after a glance to see that his orderly was well to the
rear, "Sandy, were you at your office yesterday morning?"

"No, sir; I was at church."

"Ah, yes. I shou