it not, Captain Prescott?" dem

swear that I never wrote it," declared astonishe

mbles your h

rite any such message then I'd be about ready to admit

s. I will ask him if he h

, was startled, for it was hard to persuade himself that

note

reed upon, and we can cook C

ak, sir?"

Capt

een impossible for me to think of writing such a note. More, sir, it would have been stupid of me to risk writing such a note

you discuss this affair of your

ection, sir, we did not m

recollection,

s,

your handwriting,

I did not write it, and did not even d

bound to accept your assurance that you did not write this. I do not know how the note came here; all I kn

some trouble-maker,

ng about this note,

intimation that he could have had anything to d

ay later find out how it came to be here. Captain Cartwright, do you deny that Captai

all he d

wo distinct eff

yes,

opinion, justified you in attempt

tain Holmes had justified

still th

as undoubtedly

escott only because he tried to restrai

s,

to be said or explained

came from thre

emen. On the statements made to me, I will say that I believe that Captain Cartwright was most to blame. I therefore take this opportunity to rebuke him. Captain Prescott, of course, you understand that I accept your assurance

ng his rifle from shoulder arms down to port arms, then came to present arms before the officers, who

announced Cartwright,

er be repeate

ked a good deal on me, from time to time," C

, better start. So we won't refer to personal matters again, but we come to your company's barracks first, Cartwright, and when we get the

pursued their way to

they

proposed Prescott, holding out his han

rs' crowd in the se

, though he strode away with a dull

lace officially known as the guard-house was more of a bullpen. Posts had been driven deeply in the form of a rectangle, and on these barbed wire had been laid t

t watch. Just as he turned the hand, to let it fall at his side, something dropped out of the air, falling squarely in his hand. Instinctively Presco

ened his hand to glance down at his unexpected catch.

me distance from the bull-pe

undoubtedly to disguise ha

worth the carpenter

sted sergeant?" Dick wondered. "And what possible interest can I have i

n anonymous message, plainly from a guardhouse prisoner. Yet he dropped the small stone and t