hurriedly
left the office, and he saw that Rayner's face was deathly white: it was
ghastly.

"What took Rayner off so suddenly?" said the colonel, wheeling around in
his chair.

"I don't know, sir, unless there was something to startle him in the
name."

"Why should there be?"

"There are those who think that Gower got away with more than his horse
and arms, colonel: he was not at Battle Butte, though, and that is what
made it a mystery."

"Where was he then?"

"Back with the wagon-train, sir; and he never got in sight of the Buttes
or Rayner's battalion. You know Rayner had four companies there."

"I don't see how Gower could have taken the money, if that's what you
mean, if he never came up to the Buttes: Rayner swore it was there in
Hull's original package. Then, too, how could Gower's name affect him if
he had never seen him?"

"Possibly he has heard something. Clancy has been talking."

"I have looked into that," said the colonel. "Clancy denies knowing
anything,--says he was drunk and didn't know what he was talking about."

All the same it was queer, thought the adjutant, and he greatly wanted
to see the doctor and talk with him; but by the time his office-work was
done the doctor had gone to town, and when he came back he was sent for
to the laundress's quarters, where Mrs. Clancy was in hysterics and
Michael had again been very bad.

Soon after the captain's return to his quarters, it seems, a messenger
was sent from Mrs. Rayner requesting Mrs. Clancy to come and see her at
once. She was ushered up-stairs to madame's own apartment, much to Miss
Travers's surprise, and that young lady was further astonished, when
Mrs. Clancy reappeared, nearly an hour later, to see that she had been
weeping violently. The house was in some disorder, most of the trunks
being packed and in readiness for the start, and Miss Travers was
entertaining two or three young officers and waiting for her sister to
come down to luncheon. "The boys" were lachrymose over her prospective
departure,--at least they affected to be,--and were variously sprawled
about the parlor when Mrs. Clancy descended, and the inflamed condition
of her eyes and nose became apparent to all. There was much chaff and
fun, therefore, when Mrs. Rayner finally appeared, over the supposed
affliction of the big Irishwoman at the prospect of parting with her
patroness. Miss Travers saw with singular sensations that both the
captain and her usually self-re