"
"Has anything happened to--start him since then?" demanded the bearded
general, after a moment's thought.
Dade and the doctor looked into each other's eyes, and the latter turned
away. It was not his affair.
"W-ell, something has happened, general," was Dade's slow, constrained
reply. "If you will step this way--I'll see you later, gentlemen--" this
to his subalterns--"I'll explain as far as I can."
And while Dr. Waller fell back and walked beside the aide-de-camp,
gladly leaving to the post commander the burden of a trying explanation,
the general, slowly pacing by the captain's side, gave ear to his story.
"Hay cleaned up quite a lot of money," began the veteran, "and had
intended starting it to Cheyenne when this Indian trouble broke out. The
courier reached us during the night, as you know, and the major ordered
Ray to start at dawn and Field to go with him."
"Why, I thought Field was post adjutant!" interposed the general.
"He was, but--well--I beg you to let Major Webb give you his own
reasons, general," faltered Dade, sorely embarrassed. "He decided that
Field should go----"
"He _asked_ to go, I suppose--It runs in the blood," said the general,
quickly, with a keen look from his blue-gray eyes.
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