Year: 1878




fenced


could not help thinking that there
was flaw in the evidence. How was
1t if there was, as agreed, loud report,
which meant full charge of powder
that the bullet stopped at the saddle
instead of going through both saddle
and horse. That was great discrepan-
cy,-a full charge would have made
loud report, and sent it right through
anything at distance of 200 yards. L
felt there was something wrong, and
made up my mind to go on the spot l
had but six days to go in, but much
might be done. Margaret insisted on
going with me in spite of all / could do
to keep her away.


Have 1 not done all you wished me
to do since 1 have been out hereY Do,
for Heavens sake, let me have my way
in this"


So we went up the country in post
haste. l was, of course, as one of the
staff, admitted to see Gerald, whom
found terribly cut up.


" don't mind the Imprisonment; it's
the disgrace the lashes / shall kill
myself directly get loose after it,
know / shall"


No, no." said Meggie; "don't for
my sake. o Gerald if you knew how
L have suffered for weeks past, you
would live for my sake. L do not
care about the brand or the lashes.
know you are innocent, and that there
has been some horrible blunder commit
ted in this matter. o, Willie, dear, do
think of something to save him."


go, do, there's good fellow get me
some stuff that will make an end of
men


Don't talk like that, Gerald; there's
some Internal mistake in it. Don't
despair yet. Let's go over the ground
again step by STEP" and made him
tell me the whole story over again.


1t seems to me, Gerald, we want not
a few things to show you are not guilty.
We want the tiger you shot at, and that
we shan't get; and we want the clue to
the mystery of the other rifle"


go, I've thought of it all till Pm
sick. don't care what happens now.
I'll wait till the day before it's to come
off, and then break my head against the
walls"


Don't be fool, Gerald I'm sure
you are innocent. So is Margaret


" Yes; so are hundred others; but
it's all no use, In three days am dis
graced for life, if live."


Well, L must leave you now, and see
what can do"


Let me have five minutes with Meg
gle, will you?"


left them alone for some ten minutes
and then told Meggie she must go home
with me. / was beaten; could not see
how / could get any fresh evidence, and
without that reprieve-a postpone
ment-was impossible. 1 went to the
wounded officer, the captain of his own
company, and got him to tell his own
story +; it was the same thing over again
always the exceedingly loud report,
and the fouled and still smoking carbine.


Il would" said the captain, "have
given the price of my commission rath-
er than have had it happen. He's as
fine fellow as ever sat horse, brave,
kind, and as thorough gentleman as
the colonel himself; 1 always made him
my orderly when 1 could so as to have
company. 1 declare to you that I did
my best at the court martial for him,
and got into disgrace with the general
presiding for 'coloring my statements
that was his eXpression-so as to favor
the prisoner. 1 almost snivelled when
heard the sentence, as if he had been
my own brother. The men are mad
about it; there has not been lash or
public punishment of any kind in the
regiment for the last twenty-five years. "


1 hardly knew how to pass the time /;
tried to think, but my ideas only trav-
eled in the same old grooves again. /
invited the assistant-surgeon TO come up
to my quarters, and introduced him to
my sister. He was quite young fellow
and seemed quite flattered by my simple
attention, fer in the army they have not
| quite made up their minds whether a
medical officer should be treated as
gentleman; but the strangest thing L
ever saw in my life was my sisters con-
duct. OF course, speaking to you fell
lows / shan't be misunderstood, and
some of you have seen her. She laid
herself out to please him to an extent |