Three days more, and back came Mullane with the wretched prisoner
Marsden. The Irish captain's eyes grew saucer-big when he heard the
harrowing details of recent events at the post. Never in its liveliest
days, before or since, had Worth known an excitement to match this; for,
with the best intentions in the world, there wasn't a woman in officers'
row who could get at the bottom facts of the episode. Rumors of the
wildest kind that were early in circulation were best left to the
imagination of the reader. The only thing actually known was that Mrs.
Winn and Captain Barclay were going out riding at reveille, that Winn
surprised them and knocked the captain down, that Winn was now in close
arrest, Barclay on the mend and again sitting up, Mrs. Winn confined by
illness to her bed, Mrs. Faulkner (a most important person she) in
devoted attendance, all their differences forgiven if not
forgotten,--and there were few Mrs. Faulkner would not have forgiven for
the bliss of being for the time the most sought-after woman at Worth,
for every one wanted to know how Mrs. Winn was every hour of the day,
and hoped to hear what dreadful imprudence of hers it was that caused
the equally dreadful fracas.
Gravely and quietly the doctors told their story to the colonel; that
there was no arrangement or engagement to ride together; that Captain
Barclay had no idea Mrs. Winn ever rose--much less rode--that early; and
most men accepted the statement as true. But there was the fatal
exhibition of Barclay's letter by Mrs. Winn to confront the women, who
would have held him guiltless and saddled all the blame upon her lovely,
sloping shoulders. What had he to write to her about, unless it was to
ask her to ride or something of the kind? And the idea of their daring
to select such an hour, instead of going out when--when people could
see! And then there was the fact that Mr. Winn still refused to be
reconciled to his wife. What did that mean, if not that he deemed her
guilty? Blythe, who had a kindlier feeling for Winn than had most men at
Worth (for Brayton now was utterly set against him and refused to go
near him), sent in his card and begged to be allowed to see him; and
Blythe's face was sad and gray when, half an hour later, he came forth
again.
"Colonel," said he to Frazier, "something has got to be done for that
poor fellow, or he'll go mad. Collabone has told him Barclay was
totally ignorant of Mrs. Winn's plan to ride that morning,--that his
assault was utterly unjustifiable; and between that and the
contemplation of his wife's brainless freak, and all his old trouble,
I'm sorely afraid he'll break down,--go all to pieces. Can't something
be done?"
Both Frazier and Brooks thought something ought to be done; and so said
Blythe and De Lancy, and Follansbee and Fellows, when they came trooping
home, empty-handed, from their scout. Only Mullane's detachment had
accomplished anything, and such success as he had was due almost
entirely to Winn's persistent effort and energetic trailing. Something
was being done to hunt up stolen stores as revealed by Marsden, but poor
Winn, who had ridden home so full of hope and pluck and energy, now
paced his narrow room for hours, or lay upon his lounge, face buried in
his arms, either dull and apathetic or smarting with agony. On Mrs. Winn
old Collabone had little sympathy to waste. Bluntly he told her that she
was responsible for the whole business and deserved to be down sick. So,
too, he told the colonel, who was having a blissful time answering the
questions and squirming under the nagging of his household at home. At
first Laura had shown tremendous spirit. Mr. Winn's conduct was an
insult. The doctor's comments were an insult. The instant she was well
enough to move she would take her precious child and return to her
mother's roof.
"Your mother hasn't any roof," said Collabone. "She's boarding in
Washington, playing for another husband, and you'd spoil the whole game,
turning up with a grandchild. What you've got to do is beg your
husband's pardon for all the scrapes you've led him into,--this last one
especially." Laura wailed and wept and cried out against the heartless
cruelty of her husband, who left her sick and dying, for all he knew
(Collabone had assured him there was nothing on earth the matter but
nerves), and she thought Mrs. Faulkner ought to _make_ him hear how ill
she was. At last she managed to have herself appropriately arrayed, and
with face of meekest suffering waylaid him on the lower floor before he
could close the door against her, after a brief official visit from the
adjutant.
But the first glance into his haggard, hopeless face, the sight of
despair such as she had never dreamed of, struck to her soul something
like terror. One moment she gazed, all thought of her puny troubles
vanished and forgotten, and then with one great cry--the first genuine
feeling she had shown--the unhappy woman threw herself at his feet and
clasped her arms about his trembling knees.
That night when the doctor called he found her humbled, contrite,
concerned in earnest, and all for her husband. "It's the first time,"
said he, "I've ever felt any respect for you whatever, Mrs. Winn. I
believe there's something in you, after all,"--"though probably not
much," he later added when he told his wife. That night, too, he and
Brooks and Blythe sat half an hour with Winn. The colonel asked them to
do it, for it was time to help him if help was to come at all. The same
day brought inquiry from Department Head-Quarters as to whether
Lieutenant Winn had made good the amount of that great shortage; and the
promised money package had not come.
Gently they asked him if he had reasonable right to look for it, and all
the answer he could make was that it had been promised on certain
conditions. He had recently accepted them, had expected to find the
money on his arrival at Worth, but instead had found---- and the hands
thrown hopelessly forward, palms upraised, were as expressive as any
words could have been. There was silence a moment. Then he spoke again.
"And, after all, what matters it now? With this court-martial hanging
over me, I've nothing but dismissal from the army to look forward to in
any event."
"And what if there should be no trial, Winn?" said the major, after a
reflective pause. "It is true that you have made an awful--break; but as
yet you are your only accuser, and Mrs. Winn is the only witness, for
Barclay is dumb."
But Winn shook his head. "I know enough of army matters to know that
this thing is all over the post and will soon be all over Texas. If
Captain Barclay was of--the old army,--if he had been brought up as I
was, we might settle it out of court. My father used to say that there
could be no other reparation for a blow. What would my apologies be
worth? They would not re-establish him."
"Sometimes I think," said Brooks, after another reflective pause, "that
men of Barclay's stamp need no appeal to the code to set them right.
That is only a device by which physical courage is made a substitute for
other virtues that may be lacking. Barclay occupies a plane above it. In
view of his record in the Platte country and in this recent chase after
the outlaws, it would take a bold man to sneer at him, in this garrison
at least; and if he prefer no charge against you, who is to do it? This
trouble can be straightened out, Winn," said the major, soothingly, "if
only you could fix--that other."
But how, said they to each other, as they went gloomily away, was that
other to be "fixed"? How was a poor fellow with nothing but his pay,
burdened by an extravagant and helpless wife, a little child, and a
number of debts, to hope to raise three thousand dollars to prevent the
almost total stoppage of his stipend? That evening when Mrs. Faulkner
left her invalid friend the latter asked her to say to Harry that she
begged him to come and speak with her. Harry went, but there was no
spring, no gladness, in the slow and halting feet that climbed the
narrow stair; there was no hope in the care-worn face that came forth
again in half an hour. Laura wished him to take her watch, her diamond
ear-rings, a locket he had given her in bygone days, and other pretty
trinkets, sell them, and pay their debts: she was amazed to hear, not
that they owed so much, but that her treasures would bring so little.
The fourth day of his arrest was well-nigh gone. Collabone had reported
Barclay quite himself again, and sitting up, though none too strong, and
then he saw that Winn at last had been writing. "Read that," said Harry,
briefly, and handed him the sheet. It was addressed to Captain Barclay.
"In the last four days I have done nothing but think of the great wrong
I did you. I have tried to find words in which to tell you my distress
and self-reproach, but they fail me. There was no shadow of
justification for my suspicion, and therefore no excuse for my blow. Had
you desired reparation you would have demanded it, and the rule used to
be for a man in my plight to wait until it was asked before he tendered
an apology that might be considered a stopper to a challenge. But I will
not wait. At the risk of anything any man may say or think, I write this
to tell you that I deplore my conduct and with all my heart to beg your
pardon."
Collabone went through it twice with blinking eyes. "That's the bravest
thing you ever did, Winn," said he, as he laid it carefully down. "That
ought to stop court-martial proceedings."
"That," answered Winn, "is a different matter. I don't ask any mercy. I
would have been better off this minute if he or Brayton had shot me on
the spot."
There was silence a moment as he turned away and presently seated
himself at the little table, his head dropping forward on his arms. Then
Collabone stepped up and placed a hand upon his shoulder.
"Winn, my boy, I should lie if I said you ought not to feel this, but
there's such a thing as brooding too much. You'll harm yourself if you
go on like this. You---- Here! let me take that in to Barclay. Let him
speak for me; I'm damned if it isn't too much for me!"
But Winn's head was never lifted as the doctor went his way.
Later that night the post adjutant dropped in. He and Winn had never
been on cordial terms, but the staff officer was shocked and troubled at
the increasing ravages in the once proud and handsome face of the
cavalryman. "Winn," he said, in courteous tone, "the colonel directs
extension of your limits to include the parade, and--and to visit
Captain Barclay, who wants to see you this evening, if you feel able.
It's only next door, you know," he added, vaguely. Then, "Isn't there
anything I can do?"
That night just after taps old Hannibal admitted the tall young officer,
and ushered him into a brightly lighted room, where, rather pale and
wan, but with a kindly smile on his face, Galahad Barclay lay back in
his reclining chair, and held out a thin, white hand.
"Welcome, Winn," was all he said, and then the old negro slid out and
closed the door.
"There are Oirish and Oirish," as, quoting Mulvaney, has been said
before. Once assured that no further proceedings were to be taken
against him for his iniquitous lapse the day of the rush to Crockett
Springs, Captain Mullane concluded that he must stand high in favor at
court and that further self-denial and abstinence were uncalled for,
especially in view of the successes achieved for him by the small
detachment of his party led by Lieutenant Winn. Mullane was a gallant
soldier in the field, from sheer love of fighting, and the same trait
when warmed by whiskey made him a nuisance in garrison. Not a week was
he home from his successful scout when he broke out in a new place, and
this time he found instant accommodation.
Little of the stolen property was recovered by the searching squad sent
out as the result of Marsden's revelations. That voluble scoundrel was
in the guard-house, awaiting trial by general court-martial. Cavalry
drills were resumed again, and after each morning's work the officers
gathered in considerable force at the club-room. There had been, both in
the infantry and in the cavalry, vast speculation as to the outcome of
Winn's arrest and Barclay's mishap. But men, as a rule, spoke of the
matter with bated breath. Mullane, Bralligan, and the one or two Irish
ex-sergeants in the command, known locally as the Faugh-a-Ballaghs,
however, waxed hilariously insolent in their comments. Nothing short of
dismissal should be Winn's sentence, and nothing short of a challenge be
Barclay's course. It was with something akin to amaze that Mullane
received on the sixth day after Winn's arrest official notification of
his release and restoration to duty. It was with something akin to
incredulous wrath that an hour later he caught sight of the liberated
lieutenant issuing from Barclay's quarters, not his own, and with
Barclay leaning trustfully on his arm.
Apology accepted! Explanations tendered! All settled, and without a
meeting on the field of honor! "Whurroo! but hwat's the cavalry comin'
to?" howled Mullane over the consequent cups at the sutler's store and
club-room, Fuller aiding and abetting with more liquor. Up the hill to
the post lurched the big captain that very afternoon, and into the
card-room where some of his cronies were gathered, Bralligan among them,
and the untrustworthy Hodge. Any one with half an eye could see there
was mischief in the wind, for nothing caused these old-time Hibernian
rankers keener suffering than to have their betters settle a question
without either court-martial or a fight. Talk and jeering laugh grew
louder as potations followed on the heel-taps of their predecessors. The
mail from San Antonio got in at five P.M. that evening, and the orderly
was distributing letters as the officers returned from stables. Winn, by
invitation, had accompanied the major, and was walking home with him,
Mullane and a crony or two following at safe distance. Several men saw
the light of relief in Winn's face as he received, opened, and glanced
into the missive handed him.
"Has it come?" asked Brooks, in genuine sympathy.
"Yes," answered Winn, almost solemnly. "A check which I am instructed to
have cashed by Fuller, as he has all the currency in the county just
now."
"I congratulate you with all my heart," said the major. "I suppose you
will see Trott to-morrow."
"I shall see him to-night, if you will excuse me, sir. I'll go at once
to the store.--Brayton, will you come with me?"
Fuller was out. It was some minutes before he could be found at the
corral. Meantime the two classmates, reconciled since the long talk
between Barclay and Winn, conversed in low, grave tones in Fuller's
private card-room, where none but officers and his cronies were
admitted. "The trader looked queer," said Brayton, "when he took the
check," but after some fumbling at his safe came back with a thick
package of treasury notes, carefully counted out and labelled. On this
display of wealth gloated the fishy eyes of Mullane as a moment later he
came reeling in, Bralligan and Hodge at his heels.
To his hilarious salutation Brayton gave short answer, Winn none at all.
Winn's face had clouded again, and all the sad lines of thought and care
seemed cutting deep, despite the coming of this much-needed relief.
"Hwat's ahl the lucre, I say?" shouted the Irish captain, raging at
Winn's tacit snub. "Thousands of dollars, bedad!" Then with leering wink
he turned to his half-muddled satellites. "D'ye mind, lads?--ahl that
for a plasther to wounded honor,--regular John Bull business over again.
That's the English way of settlin' a crim. con. case. How much did
Barclay think it wurrth, Winn?"
And the next instant he lay floundering on the floor, felled by a
furious blow from the subaltern's fist.