re was this much foundation, that Barker thought, if he did not say,
that Atherton ran it much better than Button ever could hope to, and
Button instinctively knew and infinitely resented it. It must be owned
of Button that he hated the mere mention of his predecessor's name,
methods, and opinions. It was unlucky indeed, perhaps, that the views
of one of the former colonels had been recorded in black and white as
follows:

"In my opinion Lieutenant Lanier is one of the finest young officers in
the Cavalry."

Full fifteen minutes the colonel went striding up and down the long
apartment used for office, assembly, and school-room. Once in a while he
would turn across the hall and into Barker's smaller room, pause as
though half minded to speak, then turn out again. Twice he went to the
door, looking over across the glistening heaps and drifts, and letting
in a lot of cold air. Twice he muttered something about its taking
Snaffle and his sergeant an unusually long time to do a simple thing,
and at last, as the trumpeters were heard, with much stamping of feet
and blowing of hands, gathering for the old-time nightly "walk around"
that preceded tattoo roll-call, Button abruptly turned on his adjutant
and said:

"Barker, how long have you known Mr. Lanier?"

"Ever since he joined, sir."

"And you knew him in his cadet days?"

"As an instructor knows a cadet, yes, sir."

"And you told me you never heard of his writing to newspapers?"

"Never, sir," answered Barker, rising from his chair and facing his
commander. "And I repeat that I believe it impossible for him to have
had anything to do with those--inflammatory articles about the
campaign."

"You consider him absolutely square--above a lie--or a trick of any
kind?"

Barker faltered just one minute. What did the colonel mean by a trick?
Mischief there had been, once or twice. Tricks had been played, and one
only this last summer during the campaign--a trick, too, that if truth
were told, Lanier should have known about. At least, it had been played
for his benefit, and had "pulled the wool" over the colonel's eyes.

"I consider him as square a man as I know, and utterly above a lie--of
any kind," was the final answer.

"And yet you hesitate. You know, or have heard--rumors," said Button
suspiciously.

"I have heard rumors and slanders, Colonel Button," was Barker's
probably injudicious reply, for he closed with "and so many of them that
I disbelieve nine out o