The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-26
GENERAL CHARLES
 KING,
Author of t'The Colonel's Daughter.''
 fFoes In Ambush,'' Etc.

the muscles about the corners of the mouth suggestive of amusement. "Why?"
 "I failed to-gfve satisfaction. Only scraps of my letters were published" !"
 ''What did they want?"
 'tCritjcism principally and conflrma- tion oS tbe stories of abuse and ill treatment of soldiers by their of1cerS''
 Were your letters never published ?''
 '"Three of them eventually, after the campaign. in the New York Morning Mail.''
 Whereupon Riggs span in his chair and rejoicefully surveyed Button. who sat like man in daze, staring open eyed at the witness.
 l ''Then. as l understand it, you were 1 favorably impressed with the life and conditions ?"
 'sIn spite of hardship andf privation. yes, sir, and because I found complete Tefutation of the stories about the off, cers. both as regarded their dealing with the Indians and with their own men,
 ''sWere there any persons with the command who knew you and your mission"'
 1.-TWO, sir. as it turned out. Trooper Gary, who enlisted att the same time did, and a civilian.I-Mr. Lowndes. who recognized us at Fort Frayne. We were at college together. He and l Gary became very intimate toward the last, and yet I think they kept my secret in spite of our falling out.''
 ''Do you care to tell us why you. fell out?"
 ''I prefer that MT Lowndes should do that. He and Cary had been chums in college days. and. though we were l in the same society, did not know them then as I do now.''
 t'You had trouble with Sergeant Fitzroy at first. We have heard his version. What is youy?''
 Rawdon's eyes never finched.
 '1t was partly on account of the lady who Is now my wife and partly on account of-money. Fitzroy is an out and out usurer and has a dozen sergeants in the regiment in his debt and under his thumb. Captain Snaf1e's first sergeant among them"
 ''It's a lie!" said SnafBe.
 '1t's the truth said Riggs, sAand I have other proofs. You will curb your tongue and your temper. Captain Snaf- de, if you please. Go on. Rawdon."
 "I had. reason to believe he was squeezing Dr. Mayhew. had learned to love Afayhew.s daughter. made Dr. Mayhew take enough to fEee him. self and won Fitzroy's hate on both accounts
 "You are accused of assaultang him the night of the 18th. What of that?'
 s'I did not even see him or speak to him. I had been in town in the after noon arranging for our marriage. Dr. Mayhew would not hear of it until I had got my discharge. but we had decided to be married Saturday morn ing and to go east that afternoon, as important business called me. MT. Lpwndes will tell you that he owed me much money. I had lost my position Rs correspondent. needed the cash and pressed him for it. He had promised faithfully to have 1t ready. but ready 1t was not knew of his relatives in Massachusetts and urged him to telegraph, but he said he could get some of it at least at the fort So drove him and Cary out in a sleigh, left them at the store and, circHng the fort, spent two hours with Miss May hew, then, getting uneasy. as they did not come, drove round back to the store just in time to see Lieutenant Fosters sleigh going like the wind to town and found Raferty in frantic excitement. He said there was hell to pay The lieutenant was in arrest Lowndes and Cary had run away with some of his clothes. TheEe'd been a shindy up the row. and just then a soldier friend came running. Skip for your life, Rawdon,' said he. There's been robbery at Captain Samter's, and Sergeant Fitzroy swears it WIS you and that you've struck him and assaulted him. The colonel orders you arrested wherever fo'l1r1. The patrols are out now!' There was DO time to explain. I lashed my team to town. caught Lowndcs in cavalry over coat and cap. the fool. and with not cent to his name. I gave Gary note to Miss Mayhew, whi:.R lie never de Iivcred. and took Lowndcs with me on No, at 11:4O.''
 ''Then you were not at Captain Sum- ter's that night9g's -.4zs...ss-zz1.sss- ,ss z--
 Nowhere near it. -saE!s.-c sss-v-
 'fNow. another matter" continued Riggs-'that night at Laramie of which you told me These gentlemen will be interested"
 .There was nothing rem arkable in that had heard of the same thing be- ing done at West Point. l heard in the nick of time of the order to the officer of the day to inspect for Lieutenant Lanier. I imagined that something very serious would happen to Einl. l knew he'd gone to the post with Lowndes and why. So, with my apol- ogies now to the lieutenant slipped round to his tent and into his blen- kets.''
 Did the lieutenant know of it CT Of the redson?''
 Never. so far as I know. l doubt if he knows it now. Lowndes told me the lieutenant before he entered West Point was meu1ber of our fraternity That was enough
 And so far as am concerned" said