nd that night and was
uppermost in his thoughts as he stood there facing his patient
commander. The General's fine, clear-cut features clouded with anxiety
as he noted the long silence and hesitation. Again he spoke, with grave,
yet gentle reproof in his tone.

"Surely, Loring, if you know of the fellow, it is our right to know."

"I realize it, sir. But I can do better than tell a mere suspicion. Give
me authority to act and I'll land that man in jail and lay his whole
story on your desk."

"Then go and do it!" said the chief.

CHAPTER XXII.

Another week and all Wyoming was awake and thrilling. There had been
dreadful doings on the Big Horn, and John Folsom's prophecy had come
true. Enticing one detachment after another out from the stockade at
Warrior Gap by show of scattered bands of braves, that head devil of the
Ogallallas, Red Cloud, had gradually surrounded three companies with ten
times their force of fighting men and slaughtered every soldier of the
lot. There had been excitement at Gate City during a brief visit of the
General and his aid inspecting the affairs of Major Burleigh, who,
confined to his bed by nervous prostration, and forbidden by his doctor
to see anybody, had nevertheless sent his keys and books and bank
account, and to the mystification of the chief, more money was found in
the big office safe at the depot quartermaster's than was necessary to
cover his accountability. The General and his inspector were fairly
puzzled. They personally questioned the bank cashier and the
quartermaster's clerks. They ransacked that safe and pored over the
books, both there and at the bank. The only queer thing discovered was
that a large sum of money, five thousand dollars or so, had been
withdrawn from the bank in cash one day and within the week replaced.
Then the General had to turn back to Cheyenne and hasten thence to the
forts along the Platte, to expedite the sending of his soldiers to the
relief of the beleaguered posts along the Big Horn, the tidings of the
massacre reaching Gate City and plunging Fort Emory in mourning only a
few hours after his departure.

Then came still another excitement at Gate City. Major Burleigh had
suddenly become endowed with new youth and energy. He who was declared
by his physicians to be in a critical condition, one demanding the
utmost quiet, he who could not even see the department commander, and of
whom the doctor had said it might be weeks before he was