laid the letter face downward in her lap. She put
it in her pocket and rose to go.

"If you need me, Marjie, I have a force to turn loose against your
enemies, and ours. And you will need me. As a man in this community I
can assure you of that. You never needed friends as you will in the days
before you now. I am ready at your call. And let me assure you also,
that in the final outcome, there is nothing to fear. Good-bye."

He looked down into her upturned face. Something neither would have put
into words came to both, and the same picture came before each mind. It
was the picture of a young soldier out at Fort Wallace, gathering back
the strength the crucial test of a Plains campaign had cost him.

"There'll be the devil to pay," my father said to himself, as he watched
Marjie passing down the leaf-strewn walk, "but not a hair of her head
shall suffer. When the time comes, I'll send for Judson, as I promised
to do."

And Marjie, holding the letter in her hand thrust deep in her cloak
pocket, felt strength and hope and courage pulsing in her veins, and a
peace that she had not known for many days came with its blessing to her
troubled soul.

CHAPTER XXI

THE CALL TO SERVICE

We go to rear a wall of men on Freedom's Southern line,
And plant beside the cotton-tree the rugged Northern pine!

--WHITTIER.

"Phil Baronet, you thon of a horthe-thief, where have you been keeping
yourthelf? We've been waiting here thinthe Thummer before latht to meet
you."

That was Bud Anderson's greeting. Pink-cheeked, sturdy, and stubby as a
five-year-old, he was standing in my path as I slipped from my horse in
front of old Fort Hays one October day a fortnight after the rescue of
Colonel Forsyth's little company.

"Bud, you tow-headed infant, how the dickens and tomhill did you manage
to break into good society out here?" I cried, as we clinched in each
other's arms, for Bud's appearance was food to my homesick hunger.

"When you git through, I'm nixt into the barber's chair."

I had not noticed O'mie leaning against a post beside the way, until
that Irish brogue announced him.

"Why, boys, what's all this delegation mean?"

"Aw," O'mie drawled. "You've been elected to Congress and we're the
proud committy av citizens in civilians' clothes, come to inform you av
your elevation."

"You mean you've come to get first promise of an office under me.
Sorry, but I know you too well to jeopardize the interest of t