nd just to oblige you I'll fight
you myself."

"But I've no quarrel with you," said Harley sullenly.

"Oh, I can give you ample cause," said Winthrop briskly. "I can throw
this water in your face, or if you prefer it I can give you a blow on
the cheek, a hard one, too. Take your choice."

Prescott arose.

"I'm much obliged to you, Winthrop," he said, "for taking up my quarrel
and trying to shield me. All of you know that I am meant in that card
which he calls such 'a piece of good news.' I admire Colonel Harley's
methods, and since he is so persistent I will fight him on the condition
that the meeting and its causes be kept absolutely secret. If either of
us is wounded or killed let it be said that it was in a skirmish with
the enemy."

"Why these conditions?" asked Redfield.

"For the sake of others. Colonel Harley imagines that he has a
grievance against me. He has none, and if he had the one that he
imagines he is certainly in no position to call me to account. Since he
will have it no other way, I will fight him."

"I object," said Winthrop with temper. "I have a prior claim. Colonel
Harley has tried to use me, an unoffending third party, as the
instrument of his private revenge, and that is a deadly offense. I have
the reputation of being a hot-blooded man and I intend to live up to my
reputation."

A glass of water was standing by the cooler. He lifted it and hurled the
contents into Harley's face. The man started back, strangling and
coughing, then wiped the water from his face with a handkerchief.

"Do you dispute the priority of my claim over Captain Prescott?" asked
Winthrop.

"I do not," said Harley. "Mr. Redfield will call on you again in my
behalf within an hour."

Prescott was irresolute.

"Winthrop," he said, "I can't permit this."

"Oh, yes, you can," said Winthrop, "because you can't help yourself."

Then General Wood upreared his gigantic form and ran the fingers of his
left hand solemnly through his black whiskers. He put his bowie-knife in
its sheath, brushed the last shaving off his trousers and said:

"But there's somebody who can help it, an' I'm the man. What's more, I
mean to do it. Colonel Harley, General Lee transferred your regiment to
my command yesterday and I need you at the front. I order you to report
for duty at once, and I won't have any delay about it either. You report
to me in Petersburg to-morrow or I'll know the reason why; I go myself
at daylight, but I'll lea