e-president
smiled invitingly while accepting Miss Ray's courteous but brief thanks
for "so much attention during the afternoon," but who merely bowed in
acknowledgment when she would have addressed them on the subject of Miss
Ray's being of so much help to her when help was so much needed, and who
spirited the young lady away to the handsome carriage awaiting her.

The vice-president was distinctly of the opinion that folks didn't need
to slink off in that way unless they were ashamed of where they were
going or afraid of being found out, whereat Stuyvesant found himself
gritting his teeth with wrath, and so whirled about and left her.

It was after midnight when they reached the pier at Oakland. There,
under the great train-shed, track after track was covered with troop
cars and a full regiment lay sleeping.

An alert young officer of the guard raised his hand in salute as
Stuyvesant addressed him. No, there were no ambulances, no soldiers from
the Presidio. They might be waiting across the ferry.

But how was he to get the injured men across the ferry, thought
Stuyvesant. Two of them would have to be carried.

The long train, except that recruit car, was now emptied. The throng of
passengers had gone on through the waiting-rooms and up the stairway to
the saloon deck of the huge ferry-boat. If he purposed going, no time
was to be lost, and the porter bearing his hand-luggage ventured a word
to that effect.

Stuyvesant looked back. There were protruding heads at many of the
windows of the recruit car, but, obedient to the instructions given by
Connelly, no man, apparently, had left his place, and Connelly, though
suffering, had evidently resumed control, much benefited by the services
of another physician who had boarded the train in the late afternoon and
renewed the bandages and dressings of the injured men. Then Stuyvesant
became suddenly aware of a messenger-boy with a telegram. It was
addressed to "Lieutenant Stuyvesant, A. D. C., Train No. 2, Oakland."
Tearing it open, he read as follows:

"Report by wire condition of Recruit Foster. If serious, have him
conveyed to St. Paul's Hospital. Commission as lieutenant and signal
officer awaits him here."

It was signed by the adjutant-general at department head-quarters, San
Francisco.

But the boy had still another. This too he held forth to Stuyvesant, and
the latter, not noticing that it was addressed "Commanding Officer U. S.
Troops, Train No. 2," mechan