II.

Even in the excitement attendant upon their reception at the station

neither Mrs. Rayner nor her sister could entirely recover from the

surprise and pain which the stranger's singular words had caused. So far

from feeling in the least rebuffed, Mrs. Rayner well understood from his

manner that not the faintest discourtesy was intended. There was not a

symptom of rudeness, not a vestige of irritation or haste, in his tone.

Deep embarrassment, inexpressible sadness even, she read in the brief

glimpse she had of his paling face. It was all a mystery to her and to

the girl seated in silence by her side. Both followed him with their

eyes as he hurried away to the rear of the car, and then, with joyous

shouts, three or four burly, fur-enveloped men came bursting in the

front door, and the two ladies, the baby, and the kitten were pounced

upon and surrounded by a group that grew larger every minute. Released

finally from the welcoming embrace of her stalwart husband, Mrs. Rayner

found time to present the other and younger officers to her sister. As

many as half a dozen had followed the captain in his wild rush upon the

car, and, while he and his baby boy were resuming acquaintanceship after

a separation of many long months, Miss Travers found herself the centre

of a circle of young officers who had braved the wintry blizzard in

their eagerness to do her proper homage. Her cheeks were aflame with

excitement and pleasure, her eyes dancing, and despite the fatigue of

her long journey she was looking dangerously pretty, as Captain Rayner

glanced for a moment from the baby's wondering eyes, took in the picture

like an instantaneous photograph, and then looked again into Mrs.

Rayner's smiling face.

"You were wise in providing against possibilities as you did, Kate," he

said, with a significant nod of the head. "There are as many as a dozen

of them,--or at least there will be when the ----th gets back from the

field. Stannard is out yet with his battalion."

"Oh, yes: we saw them at a station east of here. They looked frozen to

death; and there _are_ ever so many of the soldiers frozen. The

baggage-car is full of them. Didn't you know it?"

"Not a word of it. We have been here for three mortal hours waiting at

the station, and any telegrams must have been sent right out to the

fort. The colonel is there, and he would have all arrangements made.

Here, Graham! Foster! Mrs. Rayner says there are a lot of frozen

cavalrymen forward in the baggage-car. Run ahead and see what is

necessary, will you? I'll be there in a minute, as soon as we've got

these ladies off the train."

Two of the young gentlemen who had been hovering around Miss Travers

took themselves off without a moment's delay. The others remained to

help their senior officer. Out into the whirling eddies of snow,

bundling them up in the big, warm capes of their regulation overcoats,

the officers half led, half carried their precious charges. The captain

bore his son and heir; Lieutenant Ross escorted Mrs. Rayner; two others

devoted themselves exclusively to Miss Travers; a fourth picked up the

Maltese kitten. Two or three smart, trim-looking infantry soldiers

cleared the section of bags and bundles of shawls, and the entire party

was soon within the door-way of the waiting-room, where a red-hot

coal-stove glowed fierce welcome. Here the ladies were left for a

moment, while all the officers again bustled out into the storm and

fought their way against the northwest gale until they reached the

little crowd gathered about the door-way of the freight-sheds. A stout,

short, burly man in beaver overcoat and cap pushed through the knot of

half-numbed spectators and approached their leader:

"We have only two ambulances, captain,--that is all there was at the

post when the despatch came,--and there are a dozen of these men,

besides Dr. Grimes, all more or less crippled, and Grimes has both hands

frozen. We must get them out at once. Can we take your wagon?"

"Certainly, doctor. Take anything we have. If the storm holds, tell the

driver not to try to come back for us. We can make the ladies

comfortable here at the hotel for the night. Some of the officers have

to get back for duties this evening. The rest will have to stay. How did

they happen to get caught in such a freeze?"

"They couldn't help it. Stannard had chased the Cheyennes across the

range, and was ordered to get back to the railway. It was twenty below

when they started, and they made three days' chase in that weather; but

no one seemed to care so long as they were on the trail. Then came the

change of wind, and a driving snow-storm, in which they lost the trail

as a matter of course; and then this blizzard struck them on the

back-track. Grimes is so exhausted that he could barely hold out until

he got here. He says he never could have brought them through from

Bluff Siding but for Mr. Hayne: he did everything."

"Mr. Hayne! Was he with them?"

"He was on the train, and came in at once to offer his services. Grimes

says he was invaluable."

"But Mr. Hayne was East on leave: I _know_ he was. He was promoted to my

company last month,--confound the luck!--and was to have six months'

leave before joining. I wish it was six years. Where is he now?" And the

captain peered excitedly around from under his shaggy cap. Oddly, too,

his face was paling.

"He left as soon as I took charge. I don't know where he's gone; but

it's God's mercy he was with these poor fellows. His skill and care have

done everything for them. Where did he get his knowledge?"

"I've no idea," said Captain Rayner, gruffly, and in evident ill humor.

"He is the last man I expected to see this day or for days to come. Is

there anything else I can do, doctor?"

"Nothing, thank you, captain." And the little surgeon hastened back to

his charges, followed by some of the younger officers, eager to be of

assistance in caring for their disabled comrades. Rayner himself

hesitated a moment, then turned about and trudged heavily back along the

wind-swept platform. The train had pulled away, and was out of sight in

the whirl of snow over the Western prairies. He went to his own

substantial wagon, and shouted to the driver, who sat muffled in buffalo

fur on the box,--

"Get around there to the freight-house and report to the doctor. There

are a lot of frozen cavalrymen to be taken out to the hospital. Don't

try to come back for us to-night: we'll stay here in town. Send the

quartermaster's team in for the trunks as soon as the storm is over and

the road clear. That's all."

Then he rejoined the party at the waiting-room of the station, and Mrs.

Rayner noted instantly that all the cheeriness had gone and that a cloud

had settled on his face. She was a shrewd observer, and she knew him

well. Something more serious than a mishap to a squad of soldiers had

brought about the sudden change. He was all gladness, all rejoicing and

delight, when he clasped her and his baby boy in his arms but ten

minutes before, and now--something had occurred to bring him serious

discomfort. She rested her hand on his arm and looked questioningly in

his face. He avoided her glance, and quickly began to talk. She saw

that he desired to answer no questions just then, and wisely refrained.

Meantime, Miss Travers was chatting blithely with two young gallants who

had returned to her side, and who had thrown off their heavy furs and

now stood revealed in their becoming undress uniforms. Mr. Ross had gone

to look over the rooms which the host of the railway hotel had offered

for the use of the party; the baby was yielding to the inevitable and

gradually condescending to notice the efforts of Mr. Foster to scrape

acquaintance; the kitten, with dainty step, and ears and tail erect, was

making a leisurely inspection of the premises, sniffing about the few

benches and chairs with which the bare room was burdened, and

reconnoitring the door leading to the hall-way with evident desire to

extend her researches in that direction. Presently that very door

opened, and in came two or three bundles of fur in masculine shape, and

with them two shaggy deer-hounds, who darted straight at the kitten.

There was a sudden flurry and scatter, a fury of spits and scratching, a

yelp of pain from one brute with lacerated nose, a sudden recoil of both

hounds, and then a fiery rush through the open door-way in pursuit of

puss. After the first gallant instinct of battle her nerve had given

out, and she had sought safety in flight.

"Oh, don't let them hurt her!" cried Miss Travers, as she darted into

the hall and gazed despairingly up the stairway to the second story,

whither the dogs had vanished like a flash. Two of the young officers

sped to the rescue and turned the wrong way. Mrs. Rayner and the captain

followed her into the hall. A rush of canine feet and an excited chorus

of barks and yelps were heard aloft; then a stern voice ordering, "Down,

you brutes!" a sudden howl as though in response to a vigorous kick, and

an instant later, bearing the kitten, ruffled, terrified, and wildly

excited, yet unharmed, there came springing lightly down the steps the

young man in civilian dress who was their fellow-traveller on the

Pullman. Without a word he gave his prize into the dainty hands

outstretched to receive it, and, never stopping an instant, never

listening to the eager words of thanks from her pretty lips, he darted

back as quickly as he came, leaving Miss Travers suddenly stricken dumb.

Captain Rayner turned sharply on his heel and stepped back into the

waiting-room. Mr. Ross nudged a brother lieutenant and whispered, "By

gad! that's awkward for Midas!" The two subalterns who had taken the

wrong turn at the top of the stairs reappeared there just as the

rescuer shot past them on his way back, and stood staring, first after

his disappearing form, and then at each other. Miss Travers, with wonder

and relief curiously mingled in her sweet face, clung to her restored

kitten and gazed vacantly up the stairs.

Mrs. Rayner looked confusedly from one to the other, quickly noting the

constraint in the manner of every officer present and the sudden

disappearance of her husband. There was an odd silence for a moment:

then she spoke:

"Mr. Ross, do you know that gentleman?"

"I know who he is. Yes."

"Who is he, then?"

"He is your husband's new first lieutenant, Mrs. Rayner. That is Mr.

Hayne."

"_That!_--Mr. Hayne?" she exclaimed, growing suddenly pale.

"Certainly, madame. Had you never seen him before?"

"Never; and I expected--I didn't expect to see such a--" And she broke

short off, confused and plainly distressed, turned abruptly, and left

the hall as had her husband.