dear chap," he wound up, "I can't always understand a man
like old Papa North. Sometimes I think he's just a beast!"

But Prescott's laughing advice was:

"Hold yourself in, Ferrers; your hoops are cracked."

"Bah!" stormed Lieutenant Algy. "An Army post is a crazy place for a
fellow to go when looking for sympathy or reason."

In the meantime A Company's men had spread the joke through enlisted
men's barracks.

"What's the use!" growled Private Hinkey to a group of private soldiers.
"Ferrers is just a plumb fool, and all the colonels in the world can't
ever make anything else of him. Ferrers is a born idiot!"

Sergeant Hal Overton paused just at the edge of the group.

"Hinkey," the boyish non-com. observed dryly, "if that's your opinion,
you'll show a lot of wisdom and good sense in keeping it to yourself."

"Oh, you shut up!" sneered Hinkey. "No one spoke to you. Move on. Your
opinions are not wanted here."

Words cannot convey the intent in Hickey's words, though it was plain
enough to all who stood near by.

Hinkey plainly sought to convey that no man in barracks had any use for
Sergeant Overton, a man as good as convicted of having robbed Private
William Green.

Nor did Hal, by any means, miss the intended slur. Yet he was above
taking up any quarrel on personal grounds.

"Hinkey," rebuked the young sergeant, "you're not answering a
non-commissioned officer with the proper amount of respect."

"What's the use?" jeered the ugly soldier. "I don't feel any."

"Silence, my man!"

"Then since you're putting on airs just because of your chevrons, you'd
better set an example of silence yourself. Then your lesson will wash
down all the better."

The other soldiers in the group took no part in the conversation. They
did not attempt to "show sides," but Sergeant Hal knew that they were
looking on and listening with keen interest.

It would never do for this boy who was a sergeant to "back down" before
such an affront, both to himself and to good discipline.

"He's trying to make me mad, so that I'll make it seem like a personal
affair," thought Hal Overton swiftly. "I'll keep cool and fool the
fellow!"

Hinkey, after glaring defiantly and contemptuously at the young
sergeant, turned on his heel and started away.

"Halt, there, my man!" ordered Sergeant Hal coolly, yet at the same time
sternly.

Hinkey kept on as though he had not heard.

Without an instant's hesitation, his manner still cool but