wondered ef dere wahnt somethin' yer could do fur--fur Buff."

Seeing the drawn look come back to the older man's face, Potter
continued hurriedly----

"Thar now, sarge, I'se powerful sorry ef I'se hu't yoh feelin's, but me
an' de boys thought ef yer'd telegraph to Division Headquatahs, dey
might do somethin'. 'Twon't do no hahm, nohow."

He then went on and talked in such a persuasive strain that, in spite of
his common-sense, a gleam of hope began to burn in Jeremiah's eyes. Yes,
it would cost something, but the boys had got together a little purse to
defray the expenses of the telegram. This could be turned over to the
Lieutenant, who would doubtless have no difficulty in getting the
necessary permission from the squadron commander. The old man had been
inactive and without hope for so long that the idea of any effort
embracing a chance of success aroused in him a fierce energy. Once
persuaded, he was impatient to be at work. If anything were to be done,
it must be done at once. In the next day and the next, Private Wilson's
sands would have run out.

It was apparently a good omen that Lieutenant Perkins should walk into
the quarters while they were talking. Potter and Jeremiah went to him
without loss of time and respectfully broached their request. The rest
of the men stood around at attention, trying to look as though they were
not listening, but straining their ears to catch every word. The officer
heard them through, and then burst out impatiently----

"Well, of all the wild-cat schemes I ever heard of, that is the worst.
The idea, Wilson, of a man of your length of service proposing such a
thing. Hanging is too good for that son of yours, and you know it. I'll
have nothing to do with this, and don't want to hear any more of it.
That'll do now."

The silence that followed these words was silence indeed. Every man in
the room caught them, and there was not one of the fifty present who did
not feel a hot, uncomfortable throbbing at his temples.

In the old sergeant, the last connecting link of discipline was strained
nearly to the breaking point. An angry gleam appeared in his eyes, and
he said in a low, shaking voice:

"Ve'ly well, Suh, I shall go to de commandin' officah."

"All right, you can do as you please about that; but you will hear from
it," and Perkins walked into the orderly room, where he proceeded to
make life miserable for the subdued wretch who was acting first sergeant
of the troop.

I