you've heard of me since we met, sir?"
"Yes, General."

"Humph! Guess you heard I was crazy," said the General, in his downright
way.

Stephen was struck dumb.

"He's been reading the lies in the newspapers too, Brinsmade," the
General went on rapidly. "I'll make 'em eat their newspapers for saying
I was crazy. That's the Secretary of War's doings. Ever tell you what
Cameron did, Brinsmade? He and his party were in Louisville last fall,
when I was serving in Kentucky, and came to my room in the Galt House.
Well, we locked the door, and Miller sent us up a good lunch and wine,
After lunch, the Secretary lay on my bed, and we talked things over. He
asked me what I thought about things in Kentucky. I told him. I got a
map. I said, 'Now, Mr. Secretary, here is the whole Union line from the
Potomac to Kansas. Here's McClellan in the East with one hundred miles
of front. Here's Fremont in the West with one hundred miles. Here we
are in Kentucky, in the centre, with three hundred miles to defend.
McClellan has a hundred thousand men, Fremont has sixty thousand. You
give us fellows with over three hundred miles only eighteen thousand.'
'How many do you want?' says Cameron, still on the bed. 'Two hundred
thousand before we get through,' said I. Cameron pitched up his hands
in the air. 'Great God?' says he, 'where are they to come from?' 'The
northwest is chuck full of regiments you fellows at Washington won't
accept,' said I. 'Mark my words, Mr. Secretary, you'll need 'em all and
more before we get done with this Rebellion.' Well, sir, he was very
friendly before we finished, and I thought the thing was all thrashed
out. No, sir! he goes back to Washington and gives it out that I'm
crazy, and want two hundred thousand men in Kentucky. Then I am ordered
to report to Halleck in Missouri here, and he calls me back from Sedalia
because he believes the lies."

Stephen, who had in truth read the stories in question a month or two
before, could not conceal his embarrassment He looked at the man in
front of him,--alert, masterful intelligent, frank to any stranger who
took his fancy,--and wondered how any one who had talked to him could
believe them.

Mr. Brinsmade smiled. "They have to print something, General," he said.

"I'll give 'em something to print later on," answered the General,
grimly. Then his expression changed. "Brinsmade, you fellows did have
a session with Fremont, didn't you? Anderson sent me over here last
Sept