other minute and their bullets are hissing at the backs of the
besieged. Another minute and Burleigh topples over on the sward, the
life blood pouring from his side, and Loring sees that half his fighting
force is gone, even as everything begins to swim before his eyes, and
the hand that strives to sweep away the blur before his sight, leaves
his pallid face smeared with blood. There is a sound of coming thunder
in his ears, the blare of distant trumpet, the warning yell of wary
Indians, the rousing cheer of charging horse, and the earth seems
turning round and rolling up to meet him as he droops, fainting at his
post, the battle won.

Well and gallantly done, was the universal verdict of the frontier on
Walter Loring's maiden fight. Brave, cool and resolute in face of
desperate peril he had proved, and many a sympathizing soldier hovered
about the hospital tent, where day after day he lay in the delirium of
fever that followed his wounds. Yet will it be believed that, when at
last convalescence came and the doctors were compelled to raise the
blockade, the news was broken to him that so soon as he should be
declared strong enough there was still another ordeal ahead. The gallant
General he had served so well had indeed been ordered elsewhere, as was
prophesied at Omaha. "A new king came who knew not Joseph." The senior
colonel was assigned to temporary command of the department, and he, old
Pecksniff, listened to the tales of Nevins, and of that new arrival from
California, Petty, reinforced by Heaven alone knows what allegations
from the lambs of Lambert's flock.

"They found some damned trumpery jewelry in a flat tin case in a trunk
you left with your traps at Omaha," was the indignant outburst of
Lieutenant Dean, who had led the rush of the cavalry to the rescue of
Folsom's ranch and Loring's exhausted party, "and some idiot has
preferred charges on the strength of them."

CHAPTER XXIV.

That Loring court was the talk of the West for many a month. Long before
its meeting the wrathful division commander had sent Colonel Stevens
back to the obscurity of Fort Emory, welcomed the new brigadier and bade
him, if a possible thing, quash the proceedings, but now it was Loring
who was obdurate. "This matter has been a scandal for months," said he.
"It must be settled now once and for all."

But, oh, what complications had not been brought about by Pecksniff's
spell of brief authority! Never before intrusted with