the Indians'
crossing and of our having to jump for the warpath. Everybody thought
yesterday morning that the campaign was about over so far as we are
concerned. Halloo! here comes young Hayne. Now, what does _he_ want?"

Riding a quick, nervous little bay troop horse, a slim-built officer,
with boyish face, laughing blue eyes, and sunny hair, comes loping up
the long prairie wave; he shouts cheery greeting to one or two brother
subalterns who are plodding along beside their men, and exchanges some
merry chaff with Lieutenant Ross, who is prone to growl at the luck
which has kept him afoot and given to this favored youngster a "mount"
and a temporary staff position. The boy's spirits and fun seem to jar on
Rayner's nerves. He regards him blackly as he rides gracefully towards
the battalion commander, and with decidedly nonchalant ease of manner
and an "off-hand" salute that has an air about it of saying, "I do this
sort of thing because one has to, but it doesn't really mean anything,
you know," Mr. Hayne accosts his superior:

"Ah, good-evening, captain. I have just come back from the front, and
Captain Hull directed me to give you his compliments and say that we
would camp in the bend yonder, and he would like you to post strong
pickets and have a double guard to-night."

"Have _me_ post double guards! How the devil does he expect me to do
that after marching all day?"

"I did not inquire, sir: he might have told me 'twas none of my
business, don't you know?" And Mr. Hayne has the insufferable hardihood
to wink at the battalion adjutant,--a youth of two years' longer service
than his own.

"Well, Mr. Hayne, this is no matter for levity," says Rayner, angrily.
"What does Captain Hull mean to do with his own men, if I'm to do the
guard?"

"That is another point, Captain Rayner, which I had not the requisite
effrontery to inquire into. Now, _you_ might ask him, but I couldn't,
don't you know?" responds Hayne, smiling amiably the while into the
wrathful face of his superior. It serves only to make the indignant
captain more wrathful; and no wonder. There has been no love lost
between the two since Hayne joined the Riflers early the previous year.
He came in from civil life, a city-bred boy, fresh from college, full of
spirits, pranks, fun of every kind; a wonderfully keen hand with the
billiard-cue; a knowing one at cards and such games of chance as college
boys excel at; a musician of no mean pretensions, and an i