son if allowed out for exercise. No sentry is posted, for an
officer is supposed to be on honor to observe the prescribed
restrictions, and only when he breaks his arrest, by visiting the
quarters of some brother officer or by going outside of camp, is he in
danger of other humiliation. To none of his few visitors did Nevins
reveal the fact that on the previous night, if not before, he had broken
his arrest and gone far out on the mesa back of the post, that he had
been detected, by whom he knew not, reported to the commanding officer,
and by him severely reprimanded and threatened with close confinement
under guard, as when first brought back to the post, if he again
ventured beyond the restricted limits now assigned him.

"I have twice sent to ask that Mr. Loring should come to see me," railed
Nevins. "I have important matters--papers and messages from my wife, and
he holds aloof. By God, Gleason! you tell him for me that if he can't
treat me decently, and come to see me before tattoo this night, I demand
that he hand back those diamonds and things! Do you understand?"

And that message Mr. Gleason, who of all things loved a sensation,
faithfully promised to deliver and fully meant to, but the game at the
sutler's developed into a big one that eventful night. Jackpots were the
rule before the drums of the infantry hammered out first call for
tattoo, and in the absorbing nature of his occupation he never thought
of Nevins' charge except as something to be attended to later, and not
until guard-mount of another day, when his head was muddled with the
potations of an all-night session and the befogging cocktails of the
morning, did Mr. Gleason approach the engineer upon the subject, and
then there was a scene.

Loring was standing at the moment in front of the rude brush and adobe
quarters of Major Starke conversing with two or three officers, or
rather listening in silence to their observations. Turnbull was seated
under the shelter of a sort of arbor made of framework and canvas
signing some papers. The president of the court had disappeared and a
rumor was flitting about the post that early in the morning, before the
dawn, in fact, that hardy veteran had pushed ahead in saddle, escorted
by most of Blake's troop, which had unexpectedly returned during the
previous night, but merely unsaddled and, after a "rub-down, feed and
water," had gone on again. If that were true, they had left as silently
and mysteriously as th