eary with their long journey by
ambulance, and glad of a chance to stretch their legs and rest. The camp
commander was doing his best to be hospitable. Burleigh had been shown
into the major's hut, where a lot of mail was awaiting him. A bronzed
subaltern had taken charge of Mr. Aide-de-camp Stone, and another of
Loring. The latter had just emerged from a tub, dripping and refreshed,
and was rubbing himself dry, when across the canvas screen he heard the
voice of the commander hailing his host.

"Mr. Post Quartermaster," said he, "I wish every other kind of
quartermaster but you was in----. That old rip Burleigh is utterly upset
by some letter he's got. He's limp as a wet rag, shaking like a man with
a fit. Took four fingers of my best rye to bring him around. Says he
must have your best team and ambulance at once. Got to push on for
Frayne."

And indeed Burleigh's face when he came forth to start for the Platte
was a gruesome sight. "He looked," said the unfeeling linesman, after
he'd gone, "as though he'd seen more Indians."

An hour later a soldier servant handed the major an envelope. "Picked it
up under the table, sir. There's still something in it."

The major glanced curiously at the superscription.

"That's the envelope, at least," said he, handing it to Loring, "of the
letter that stampeded the old man."

And Loring looked at it first with but scant interest. Then took and
held and studied the writing with eyes that kindled wonderfully.

"Why, do you think you know that hand?" asked the major curiously.

Loring handed it back, hesitated a moment, nodded, but said no word.

CHAPTER XIX.

A pleasant welcome awaited Mr. Walter Loring, of the Engineers, when he
opened his office and got settled down to work at his new station. Here
was a commanding general who knew something of his past, whose nephew
was with him at the Point, and one at least of whose aides had found
reason to respect him highly, even though they had differed as to the
site for the new post, and the Engineer had seemed to take far more
kindly to the companionship of an unheard-of sub in the cavalry than he
did to the society of two men so distinguished in the department as
Major Burleigh, depot quartermaster at Gate City, and Brevet-Captain
"Omaha" Stone, the aide in question. Burleigh had surprised the aide by
a display of great interest in and an impatience to meet the newcomer,
who had hurried out from Omaha with not a day's