in in front
of the station they stood at "attention" and saluted him.

"I don't deserve that honor, boys," said the stranger with a laugh; "I
am not a shoulder-strap."

"You are not?" exclaimed Bob, who was not a little astonished as well as
provoked at the mistake he had made. "Well, it seems to me that you are
throwing on a good many frills for a private. Where do you belong?"

"At Fort Lamoine," said the stranger; and the answer was given in a tone
quite as curt as was that in which the question was asked.

"So do I, but I don't remember to have seen you there, and so I shall
have to ask you to give an account of yourself. Dismount."

"I shall do as I please about that," replied the stranger, who had all
the while been staring very hard at Bob.

"Well, you won't do as you please about it," returned the corporal,
while Carey walked up and took the stranger's horse by the bit. "You
will do as _I_ please. If you belong at Fort Lamoine you will go there
with me in the morning, and then I shall be sure you get there. I am
acting under orders."

The horseman thrust his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket, and
pulling out a bill-book took from it a paper which he opened and handed
to Bob to read.

"If you are acting under orders I have no more to say," said he, "but
there is something which I think will see me through until day after
to-morrow. It is my furlough. Look here, partner," he added suddenly,
"isn't your name Bob Owens?"

The latter started as if he had been shot, his under jaw dropped down,
and for a few seconds he stood looking at the speaker as if he could
hardly believe his ears. Then a light seemed to break in upon him, and
springing forward he grasped the horseman by the arm and fairly pulled
him out of the saddle. After that he shook one of his hands with both
his own and executed a sort of war-dance around him, while the troopers
stood and looked on in speechless amazement.

"George Ackerman, I am delighted to see you again," cried Bob as soon as
he could speak. "I take it all back, George: I didn't mean to insult
you."

"It's Owens, isn't it?" said George, for it was he.

"Of course it is; and if you hadn't been blind you would have known it
as soon as you saw me," replied Bob.

"I don't think my eyesight is any worse than your own, for you didn't
know me until I called you by name," retorted George. "Your uniform
tells me where you have been and what you have been doing since I last