d have a wonderful
imagination, Lady Peggy, but whatever you may think, for God's sake
don't blab to any one else, unless to me; and I'd rather you wouldn't
even to me. I tell you, I'm pretty near all in."

I let him go, but I made up my mind that I would not be put off with the
story which papers and public were to get. I would know the truth, and
exactly what had happened to Eagle March.

CHAPTER X

It was just as Tony had said it would be: the newspapers next day
repeated his story. Very few clear details were given. The articles with
their spread-eagle headlines concerned themselves more--for a
wonder--with effect than cause. They told at length and dramatically how
El Paso had been aroused in the dead of night by bomblike explosions
which, many had taken for granted, came from the guns on the hill,
repelling or revenging a raid from the other side. They told how the
public had behaved, and described the relief felt when it had been
definitely learned on good authority that the alarm was due to an
accident with some ammunition. But about the accident itself there was
what struck me as a singular reticence, considering the wild conjectures
newspapers did not hesitate to print on other subjects. Their _piece de
resistance_ was the magnificent courage and presence of mind displayed
by Major Sidney Vandyke of the --th Artillery, whose battery had been
concerned in the incident.

I sent for all the El Paso papers, which were brought to me before I was
up, very early in the morning; and I sat in bed studying, in one after
the other of them, the version of last night's strange affair. Somehow,
the general praise of Sidney Vandyke's exploit annoyed me intensely, as
one is annoyed when an undeserving person is ignorantly lauded to the
skies. I know that on the face of things I had no right to say that he
was "undeserving," in this case; but that instinctive rebellion in me
against Tony's story last night cried out against it now. "There's
something queer under it all," I kept telling myself. "I must find out
what it is, and I _must_ know about Eagle."

Concerning Captain March, the papers had very little to say. They
understood that he had been on the spot when the explosion had occurred,
and that he had received slight injuries which would prevent him from
carrying on his military duties for some time to come. All their
attention was bestowed upon Major Vandyke, who had made himself the hero
of what was called