ny means, impulses and tendencies over which he had no
control having arranged for that.

However that may be, here was the major a suppliant for his services,
and here was he, Culhane, and although the major was paying well for his
minute room and his probably greatly decreased diet, still Culhane could
not resist the temptation to make a show of him, to picture him as the
more or less pathetic example that he was, in order perhaps that he,
Culhane, might shine by contrast. Thus on the first day, having sent him
around the short block with the others, it was found at twelve, when the
"joggers" were expected to return, and again at twelve-thirty when they
were supposed to take their places at the luncheon table, that the heavy
major had not arrived. He had been seen and passed by all, of course.
After the first mile or two probably he had given out and was making his
way as best he might up hill and down dale, or along some more direct
road, to the "shop," or maybe he had dropped out entirely, as some did,
via a kindly truck or farmer's wagon, and was on his way to the nearest
railway station.

At any rate, as Culhane sat down at his very small private table, which
stood in the center of the dining-room and far apart from the others (a
vantage point, as it were), he looked about and, not seeing the new
guest, inquired, "Has any one seen that alleged army officer who arrived
here this morning?"

No one could say anything more than that they had left him two or three
miles back.

"I thought so," he said tersely. "There you have a fine example of the
desk general and major--we had 'em in the army--men who sit in a swivel
chair all day, wear a braided uniform and issue orders to other people.
You'd think a man like that who had been trained at West Point and seen
service in the Philippines would have sense enough to keep himself in
condition. Not at all. As soon as they get a little way up in their
profession they want to sit around hotel grills or society ballrooms and
show off, tell how wonderful they are. Here's a man, an army officer, in
such rotten shape that if I sent a good horse after him now it's ten to
one he couldn't get on him. I'll have to send a truck or some such
thing."

He subsided. About an hour later the major did appear, much the worse
for wear. A groom with a horse had been sent out after him, and, as the
latter confided to some one afterward, he "had to help the major on."
From that time on, on t