There was the mischief to pay in and about department headquarters for
something like twenty-four hours. Colonel Strain, as chief-of-staff, had
a sleepless night of it. Mr. Loring, reticent as ever, had gone straight
to his rooms, which were far from the office and not very far from the
convent of the good gray sisters. He had no thought of insubordination
in wiring as he did to Washington. He considered it was his paramount
duty to make every effort in his power to sail by the first steamer.
Letters of instruction that had reached him informed him that a new post
was to be built along the Big Horn range in Wyoming, and that the moment
he arrived a board of officers, of which he would serve as junior, would
be sent out to select the site. There was urgent need of his services,
therefore, and no time to be lost. He felt that this sudden and summary
arrest was a wrong to him personally and professionally, but the lessons
of obedience and discipline taught in the four long years at West Point
were fresh in his mind, and whatever should be the result of his
detention the responsibility now lay with the department commander.
Arrived at his quarters, Loring calmly wrote a dispatch to the assistant
in the office of the Chief of Engineers at Washington, saying so many
words: "Placed in close arrest because of previous telegrams. Cannot
sail to-morrow." This and a note to the Lady Superior at the convent
saying he would be unable to come to say good-by to Pancha, and would
probably be detained, he sent by his servant, bidding the man go first
to the telegraph office and then to stop at headquarters for certain
books, and then to deliver the note at the convent on his homeward way.
Dennis was a retired dragoon who had found such employment with the
officers on duty in San Francisco for several years past, and was
endowed with the Irishman's almost pathetic sense of fealty to his
"commander," as he insisted on speaking of his employer. Master was a
word he could not tolerate because of its implication of servitude. But
even while rebelling at the term, he yielded to the fact a degree of
devotion to Loring's interests far exceeding that usually accorded by
the body servant of tradition, and this calm, deliberate, methodical,
silent young soldier was, in spite of himself and the proverb, "a hero
in the eyes of his _valet de chambre_." Dennis had packed his boxes with
blinking eyes and a saddened heart. "He had wurrked," he said, "for
twinty gintlemin, most av thim foine men, but the looten'nt was the best
av all." Dennis had his wife and brood in a little shanty near the sand
lots, and could not follow Loring to the East. He would have howled with
delight to hear the order countermanded that was to take the lieutenant
away, but when he heard at headquarters, from his fellow-countrymen, the
janitor and the guard, that such a countermand had been issued in the
shape of an arrest, he swore with wrath. A good Catholic was Dennis,
and many a job had been given to him and his lusty helpmate at the gray
sisters, and a warm friend had they in the lady superior, to whom he
presently bore the note and the tale of his hero's unjustifiable
treatment. Then went he on his way, and came in upon Loring just in time
to hear the closing words of what had been probably a brief and frigid
conversation between the Engineer and the General's assiduous
aide-de-camp, Captain Petty. Frigid as it sounded the captain looked hot
enough as he took his leave, and collided with Dennis at the door,
damned him for being there; then whirled about for a parting shot. "I'll
report your exact language to the General, sir," said he, with anger in
his tone.
"Try to, at least," said Loring pointedly.
"I didn't come here to be insulted, sir!" said Petty fiercely.
"No, sir. You came here to insult," was the cool reply.
The aid went down the stairs with thundering heels and raging heart.
Such contemptuous _sang froid_ on part of an officer four years his
junior in service was something unheard of, something not to be
tolerated, and as Loring refused to budge from his position of calm
superiority, the only thing left for Petty was to leave. So far from
going to Yuma, he had progressed only to Monterey, and there spent two
or three days poking about the resorts around the plaza in search of
gossip that was rumored to be in circulation at Loring's expense. He
found the gossipers easily enough, but had greater difficulty in
reaching their authorities. It proved disheartening work, for the
further he went the less he learned--each tale bearer having apparently
added to the pile of his informant, as Petty should have had sense
enough to know would be the case. But at last he "lit" on something
tangible: The hardy giant who led the rush the night of the wreck was
now well enough to be hobbling about town and breathing his tale of woe
and wrong to all listening ears, and, the officers being gone and no one
present to contradict, he had so frequently repeated his version of the
wreck of the Idaho as to make a sinner of his memory and "credit his
own lie." The burden of his latest song was that Loring had been to see
him at hospital and had promised him, on condition of being guaranteed
against action or prosecution because of the shooting of a wronged and
inoffensive man, that he (Loring) would pay him handsomely--would send
him ten dollars a week, and gave him twenty-five dollars then and there.
"But now, for more than a month," said he, "not a cent had come, and he
heard that Mr. Loring was trying to get away East." The man told his
story reluctantly and with some palpable "breaks" when he found he was
being questioned by an officer; but Petty posted back to 'Frisco without
delay, convinced that here was something with which to confront and
confound that cool, supercilious snob. Then he could take a fresh start
for Yuma and get more. One can always get something when the object of
the story is away, and, like the seaman's story of his interview with
Loring, Petty's version of the seaman's interview with him waxed as he
hastened to his General, and had assumed the proportions of a
magnificent scandal by the time he told it to that much ruffled
brigadier. Even Strain, had he heard the account, would have riddled
it--Captain Moreland's evidence was conclusive on that point--and while
Loring, in pity and compassion, might have left money with the man for
comfort in his convalescence, it was incredible that he should have
tendered payment as a bribe for silence. Strain's exaggerated
self-esteem was deeply wounded by the Engineer's evident lack of
appreciation of his greatness, and he would be glad indeed to bring him
to heel, and convince him he would be wise in future to do homage
instead of slight. And what made Loring's indifference so exasperating
was that Strain himself was forced to see that Loring was not only no
fool, as he admitted, but a man of brains, courage and ability, which he
would not concede aloud. Strain, sent for at eight o'clock by the
department commander to listen to the aid's wrathful account of the
interview with Loring, fumed and fidgetted and strove to ask some
questions to make matters clear, but Petty was already on the defensive
and did not mean to be questioned, and the General kept interposing.
"Let him tell his tale his own way, Colonel. Let him give you the whole
story, Monterey and all," and Strain, who had hoped to spend the evening
with his cronies at the club and whist, was compelled to sit till long
after nine and hear the details of Petty's asininity.
Stripped of unnecessary explanation, it seems that the General and
Strain had decided that their dignity and prerogative had been invaded
by the summary orders from Washington, which were at once a criticism of
their action in not relieving Loring, and a demand for an immediate
explanation as well as an implied threat that unless that report was
entirely satisfactory Loring must be allowed to proceed. They had spent
an hour or more in the preparation of the telegram which finally caught
the wires at six o'clock, presented their view of the case, represented
that if Loring left it would be under a cloud, and that he should not
now be allowed to leave, because of the fact that his having resorted to
forbidden and insubordinate means to procure his release was in itself a
virtual admission that he feared to stay and face the constantly
recurring accusations. It was very adroitly and impressively worded, but
still the General and chief-of-staff felt nervous and ill at ease. Down
in their hearts both realized that nothing had been proved against
Loring, and that the chances were ten to one that nothing ever could or
would be. What was more, both were beginning to realize that Loring had
been badly and shabbily treated. Yet this conviction only made them the
more ready to listen to any story, grasp at any straw, that lent an atom
of weight to the case against him. Dinner had brought no comfort to
either, and Petty's preposterous story, swallowed whole by the chief
while still bristling with the nervous strain of the concoction of that
telegram of explanation, had further upset his digestive powers. The
aide had been sent forthwith to notify Mr. Loring of the new story at
his expense, and to demand his version thereof. Petty was at no time a
diplomatic man, and at this time did not mean to be. Both in language
and manner he contrived to make his mission as offensive as he dared,
for Loring had braved him so exasperatingly on every previous occasion
that, now that he had him safe in arrest, he meant to taunt--and did it,
but his sneering slings broke harmless on the polished armor of the
Engineer's placid disdain. The madder Petty got the cooler was Loring,
and when Dennis dropped in just at the close of the interview a worse
whipped man was never seen than the aid, who rattled back to his
general, thinking of what he ought to have said, his wits, like his
brevet to the double bar, coming to him long after the war was over.
"He treated me and the General's orders with perfect contempt," said
Petty finally, and the General looked into the face of his senior staff
officer hopeful that Strain would seem properly impressed. But Strain
did not. It was one thing for Loring to ignore him, but quite different
when that officer failed to stand and deliver at the demand of Petty.
Strain treated him with scant respect himself when the General wasn't
around, and had been heard to say that generals who allowed their
wealthy relatives to dictate who should be their aids were foisting
heavy loads upon the service. It was nearly ten o'clock; his evening was
spoiled. He was crabbed, therefore, and he spoke accordingly:
"Mr. Petty--I--mean Captain Petty." (Strain, who didn't get one, said a
March '67 brevet was of no earthly account, and he for one proposed to
ignore them). "May I ask what were your words when you--you have given
us Mr. Loring's--were communicating the General's message to him? Were
they, for example, carefully chosen? Did you observe courtesy of manner,
avoiding all that could irritate, or----"
"Of course I did. You never saw a man so contemptuously, insultingly
cool in your life. He just----"
But Strain held up his hand. "I should like to know just what you said.
The General has told me the message you were to give. Now-w, how did
you give it?"
But that was something Colonel Strain was destined not to know for many
a year, if indeed, he ever heard. There came a knock at the door. A
servant entered with a card. "The lady, sir, begs to see the General at
once, if only for five minutes."
The General frowned as he took the card. What lady would be calling at
ten o'clock at night and demanding interviews when he was so much
occupied. But his face changed as he read, then glanced up at his
chief-of-staff.
"This is remarkable, Strain. The lady superior of the gray sister's
convent. Alone?" he asked, turning to the servant.
"No, sir. Young lady with her, sir."
"You'll have to excuse me a moment, gentlemen," said he. "I'll rejoin
you here."
Strain was about to return to the subject when the butler spoke. "A
messenger from headquarters is at the door, sir. Says he has a dispatch
to deliver in person. Shall I send him up?"
It was the General's library, and Strain was wondering what was going on
in the General's parlor. He knew of the lady superior. He knew the story
of little Pancha, her brave, uncomplaining conduct the night of the
wreck, and of her being placed in the convent of the gray sisters. He
decided to go to the hall door himself, and was astonished to hear the
sound of sobbing as he passed the parlor. Mechanically he took and
receipted for the dispatch. Slowly, absently he retraced his steps,
listening to the strange sounds, a pleading, choking, girlish voice,
soothing words in the gentle, loving woman's sweet tones, the occasional
gruff monosyllables from the General himself. Strain reached the library
again in something like a dream, finding Petty stalking up and down,
tugging at his slim mustache, and nervously expectant of further
question, but none came. They were startled by the quick, hurried
footsteps of the General, as he waddled back to join them, and burst in,
red-faced, ruffled, apoplectic.
"Strain--Petty, this thing has got to be settled somehow at once! That
young woman--Ugh! damn the gout! Here, Strain--Don't you go, Petty; you
won't do--Hold on! Yes, you'll have to, by Jove! There's no time to be
lost. Go and say to Mr. Loring, with my compliments, I desire to see him
a moment in the morning before he sails, and-d--He's--he's released from
arrest--It's all--it's all--well, not all of it, but--damnation! I can't
explain now. Go Petty--go! Tell him he's released--relieved, and Strain,
you issue the order relieving him at once, and directing him to proceed
without delay to his new station. I want to get the order out before
those damned fellows at Washington can order it themselves. What's that
you've got?"
"It's the order from those damned fellows at Washington," said Strain.