-of-the-day, sir," said Curbit, with brief
salute, tendering the guard report book.

The colonel went straight to business, as he glanced over the list of
prisoners.

"No sign of Trooper Rawdon?"

"No, sir. The patrol sent to search in town got back at reveille."

"His horse and kit all right?"

"All right, sir. Nothing missing that he was supposed to have."

"Police notified to watch all trains--and stages?"

"Yes, sir, and Sergeant Stowell, who commanded the paymaster's escort,
remains in town with a couple of men to help."

There was impressive silence in the office. The colonel sat with
troubled brow, looking grimly over the roster of the guard, the written
"remarks" of the officer-of-the-day, and the hours of his inspections of
sentries, etc. Barker, the adjutant, had dropped into a chair, a few
feet back of the fur-capped officers, and, though listening as bidden,
was gloomily contemplating the frost-covered panes of the nearest north
window.

Eight men had gone with Sergeant Stowell as escort to the paymaster
when, nearly four weeks earlier, he had set forth on his trip. Then the
little iron safe was full of money. Seven men had come back with him,
when, as the safe was well nigh empty, the paymaster said he hardly
needed an escort. Of the eight who started, four were "casuals" who
belonged to companies stationed at Fort Frayne, well up in the Indian
country, and there they remained when the duty was over. Of the seven
who came with Stowell, three belonged at Fort Frayne, a corporal and two
men of Captain Raymond's troop, and they came fortified with the orders
of their post commander, a copy of which was now in Barker's hands.

"What I don't understand," said the colonel, whirling his chair to the
right about and addressing the paymaster, "is how or why those men
should be down here."

"It _seems_ simple," answered Scott, placidly, he being entirely
independent of the post commander. "From Frayne I had to go to the
cantonments up along the Big Horn, and we doubled the size of the escort
accordingly. When we got back there these three were permitted to come
all the way, whether to buy Christmas things for the Frayne folk, or for
affairs of their own, I didn't inquire."

"To whom did you assign them for rations and quarters?" demanded the
colonel, of Barker.

"Captain Snaffle, sir--'C' Troop."

"Are they there?--the others, at least?"

"Corporal Watts and Trooper Ames are there, sir. Trooper Raw