THE FIRST BREATH AGAINST A SOLDIER'S HONOR

THE night was so quiet, the air so still, that the single, distantrnstroke of the town clock bell over in the town of Clowdry was distinctlyrnaudible.rnrnDong! boomed the bell, the vibration reaching the ears of two or threernof the lighter sleepers, and causing them to stir lightly in their sleeprnin Sergeant Hupner's squad room.rnrnOut on the post, not far away, a dog chose to bark at that town-clockrnbell.rnrnSome one gliding swiftly through the squad room upset a stool with arnloud crash. Yet few of the soundly sleeping soldiers bothered theirrnheads about such a series of trivial noises.rnrnNow, a series of hails began, starting down at the guard house andrnrunning rapidly around the sentry posts until the sentry pacing nearrnbarracks caught it up and called lustily:rnrn"Post number six. One o'clock, and all's well!"rnrnOne man in especial had been stirring on his cot as though trying tornthrow off some phantom of dread. Now instantly after the sentry's hailrnthis stirring sleeper emitted an excited yell.rnrn"Wow! Turn out the guard--post number six!"rnrnInstantly Sergeant Hupner awoke, sitting up on his cot.rnrn"What's the matter with you, you idiot?" growled the disturbed sergeant.rnrn"I've been touched!" wailed the excited voice.rnrnIt was the voice of Private William Green, the joke of the squad room,rnthe man who hoarded his money and carried much of it about with him.rnrn"Go to sleep, William," ordered the sergeant in a more soothing voice."I've often told you that one so young shouldn't drink coffee atrnsupper."rnrn"I've been touched, I tell you!" insisted William Green, now out of hisrnbed and feeling with frantic hands under the head of the mattress."Don't I know? I tell you, my buckskin pouch is gone. Some one was inrnthis room and got it!"rnrnIn a jiffy Sergeant Hupner was out of bed. His groping right hand foundrnthe switch and turned on the electric lights. Then Hupner jumped for hisrnuniform trousers and drew them on.rnrn"What's wrong, squad room?" called the voice of the alert sentryrnoutside.rnrnBut Hupner first went to the door of the squad room, locked it andrndropped the key in his trousers' pocket. Then the sergeant ran to anrnopen window.rnrn"I don't believe it's anything worse than a nightmare of one of the men,rnsentry. Don't call the guard until I look about a bit."rnrn"Very good, Sergeant."rnrnThen Hupner turned to the cot of Corporal Hal Overton, which was closernto the window.rnrn"Why, Corporal, what ails you?" demanded the sergeant. "You're shakingrnand your face has a frightened look."rnrn"I--I have just awakened from a pretty bad dream," Corporal Hal repliedrnsheepishly. "I'll be over it at once."rnrn"Turn out, Corporal, and you also, Corporal Terry. We've got torninvestigate in this room."rnrnHal instantly thrust a leg out. Something dropped to the floor.rnrnBang!rnrn"Ow!" wailed Private Green. "It wasn't a dream, after all. I knew itrnwould go off."rnrnSergeant Hupner, bending low like a flash, now picked up a revolver fromrnthe floor beside Hal's cot, while Hal himself sat up, staring ratherrndazedly at the weapon.rnrn"How did this come to be in your bed, Corporal Overton?" demanded thernsergeant.rnrn"I don't know, Sergeant."rnrn"But it was in your bed. You shook it out when you went to get up justrnnow."rnrn"That's the gun," insisted Private William Green. "I saw it poked intornmy face by some one prowling before my cot."rnrn"Were you so scared that you didn't dare jump up or say anything?"rndemanded Hupner, turning upon Private Green, who had now reached thernvicinity of Hal's cot.rnrn"Scared, nothing!" grunted Private William. "I thought I must berndreaming, for there was no danger in this room. Then I heard somethingrngo smash down the room, like a stool being tipped over, and then I camernaltogether out of my doze, and time I did, too! For I put my hand underrnthe mattress and my pouch and money were gone. Whoever poked that gunrntoward my head got my money!"rnrnBy this time more than half the men in the room were sitting up on thernedges of their cots. A few more lay still, though wide awake, while arnfew of the hardest sleepers were still in the Land of Nod.rnrn"Green, are you sure your money's gone?" insisted Hupner sternly. It wasrnno light thing to the reliable old sergeant to find that he had a thiefrnin his squad room.rnrn"Come and look for yourself, Sergeant."rnrn"Corporals Overton and Terry, dress yourselves," ordered the sergeant,rnas he started after Private William Green. "The rest of you men needn'trndress unless I direct it."rnrn"Now, look here, Sergeant," insisted Green, after pulling the mattressrnbodily from his cot. "Do you see anything that looks like my buckskinrnpouch?"rnrnThere was no pouch to be found on or near Soldier William's cot.rnrn"How much money did you have in the pouch?" demanded Hupner almostrnangrily.rnrn"Seven hundred and ten dollars," declared Green promptly.rnrn"Whew!"rnrnTo most of the soldiers present that much money represented a fortune.rnrnYet no one in the room thought of doubting William's assertion. Asrnreaders of the preceding volume know, Green had had considerable moneyrnwhen he joined the regiment something more than a year earlier. AndrnWilliam was known to be one who was constantly adding to his money byrnsaving his pay.rnrnMoreover, Private Green had made not a little by lending money torncomrades in the battalion. He loaned on the time-honored system ofrnlending among enlisted men in the Army--the system of "five now but sixrnon pay day."rnrnThere are soldiers in every company--in every squad room--who alwaysrnspend their pay within a few days after receiving it from the paymaster.rnAs soon as his money is gone, and he needs or wants more, thernimprovident soldier turns to some comrade who saves and lends his money.rnThe loan is five dollars, but by all the traditions the borrower mustrnreturn six on pay day.rnrnWilliam Green had been making money on this plan. Some of his wealthrnGreen now had on deposit at a Denver bank, but much of his "pile" hernalways insisted on carrying with him.rnrnAnd usually this is a safe enough plan. In no body of men in the worldrndoes honesty average higher than among the soldiers of the Americanrnregular Army.rnrnOnce in a while, of course, an exceptional "black sheep" may get in evenrnamong soldiers, and William had often been warned not to keep so muchrnconvertible wealth about his person. But William trusted his comradesrnand carried large sums of cash.rnrn"Corporal Overton, you take one side of the room, and Corporal Terry thernother. Scan the floor for any sign of a buckskin pouch."rnrn"Let me help," begged William.rnrn"All right," nodded Sergeant Hupner. "And look, also, for any stool thatrnmay be overturned."rnrnThe search was unavailing. No sight was gained of the buckskin pouch,rnwhile every stool in the room was upright and in place.rnrn"Does any man here know anything about Green's buckskin?" demandedrnHupner.rnrnThere was no answer.rnrnCrossing to the window, Sergeant Hupner called:rnrn"Sentry, call the corporal of the guard."rnrnAlmost immediately the corporal of the guard was at hand. SergeantrnHupner informed him that there had probably been a robbery in the squadrnroom and stated the known circumstances briefly.rnrnCorporal Jason immediately sent a member of the guard to arouse thernofficer of the day and ask him to come to the squad room.rnrnSoon after Lieutenant Greg Holmes strode into the room, his swordrnclanking at his side.rnrnLieutenant Holmes heard Sergeant Hupner's report, which was but a shortrnone.rnrnThen the young officer of the day turned to Corporal Hal, eyeing himrnkeenly.rnrn"Corporal Overton, isn't there something you can tell me about this? Yournwere found awake, shaking somewhat and with an alarmed look on yourrnface."rnrn"That is true, sir," Hal Overton admitted.rnrn"When Sergeant Hupner directed you to rise you did so, and at the samerntime kicked out of your bed this revolver, which was discharged."rnrn"Yes, sir."rnrn"Corporal," continued Lieutenant Holmes, "it would look as though yournmust have some knowledge of the affair. Bear in mind that I am notrnmaking any charge against you."rnrn"I--I should hope not, sir," stammered Hal Overton, his face growingrnvery pallid.rnrn"What do you know about this matter, Corporal Overton?" pressed thernyoung officer.rnrn"Absolutely nothing, sir, more than Sergeant Hupner has already statedrnto you, sir. My condition of apparent fright was due to a bad dream fromrnwhich I was at the moment waking."rnrn"And you know nothing whatever regarding the robbery from PrivaternGreen?"rnrn"Absolutely nothing more than the rest, sir," insisted Hal, though hisrncolor continued to rise.rnrnThe young soldier felt that he was half suspected, and he felt all thernawkwardness of innocence--an awkwardness that real guilt seldomrndisplays.rnrn"Men," it was Sergeant Hupner's voice breaking the stillness now, "ifrnyou each want to clear your own individual selves you will step forwardrnand volunteer to have your persons and your belongings searched."rnrnInstantly the men moved forward, and Lieutenant Holmes glanced away fromrnHal Overton. The lieutenant's survey of the lad's face had not been inrnthe least accusing, but merely a keen look of inquiry.rnrn"All the men in the room have come forward and are willing to bernsearched, sir," reported the sergeant.rnrn"Good enough, Sergeant, since they volunteer, but I would not have themrnforced without an order from the post commander. Sergeant, will yournundertake the search?"rnrn"Yes, sir; shall I have the corporals assist me?"rnrn"Yes, Sergeant, and I will lend a general oversight at the same time."rnrnThat search occupied some forty minutes. Not only were the persons ofrnthe men searched, but their chests and all their belongings. Hupner andrnhis two boyish young corporals asked Lieutenant Holmes to search themrnhimself, which the officer of the day did.rnrn"There doesn't appear to be a chance that Private Green's money is inrnthis room, or in the possession of any man in the room," remarkedrnLieutenant Holmes at last. "Green, you should have taken sensible advicernand deposited your money, either with the paymaster or at a bank."rnrn"I shall, sir, if I ever get it back," replied William Green mournfully.rnrn"Well, there appears to be nothing more that I can do," continuedrnLieutenant Holmes. "However, I will return to the guard house and callrnup the commanding officer over the telephone, reporting the matter. Letrnyour men go to bed, Sergeant, but you will remain up until either Irnreturn or send you some word through the corporal of the guard."rnrnAfter the officer of the day had gone out, the men of the squad roomrnlooked from one to another in bewilderment.rnrn"If any fellow took my money for a joke," announced Private WilliamrnGreen, "I'll call it all off if he'll be kind enough to return it."rnrnNo one accepted the offer.rnrn"It's gone, all right, Green, evidently, and serves you right," saidrnSergeant Hupner gruffly.rnrnIn the course of a few minutes the corporal of the guard came back torninform Sergeant Hupner that a guard would be set, both in the corridorrnand outside, to prevent any man from leaving this squad room during thernnight. In the morning, immediately following first call to reveille,rnColonel North, his adjutant and the officer of the day would visit thernsquad room together.rnrn"And that's all there is to it, for to-night, men," announced SergeantrnHupner. "Every man in bed now, for I'm going to switch off the light."rnrnTen minutes later some of the soldiers were asleep, but not all, forrnpresently Hupner's strong military voice boomed through the room:rnrn"Stop that whispering! Silence until first call goes in the morning."rnrnAfter first call to reveille did sound in the morning barely sixtyrnseconds passed when the door was opened to Colonel North and the twornofficers accompanying him.rnrnThen, indeed, there was a thorough examination. Each man in the room wasrnquestioned keenly by the colonel himself.rnrn"Corporal Overton, how do you account for that revolver being in yourrnbed?"rnrnColonel North held up the weapon. It was an ordinary service revolver,rnsuch as is worn by an orderly when on duty without rifle, and there werernmany such revolvers in barracks. No soldier was supposed to have one ofrnthese revolvers, except by orders, yet it would be easy enough for anyrnsoldier to get one by stealth.rnrn"I can't account for it, sir," Hal answered. "I didn't have it myself,rnor put it in the bed, and I can only guess that some one else did."rnrn"Why should any one else do that, Corporal?"rnrn"Possibly, sir, with a view to making me appear guilty."rnrn"Do you suspect any one in particular?"rnrn"No, sir; I can't imagine why any man in the room, or in the battalion,rnshould want to do it."rnrn"You understand, Corporal Overton, that you are not under any charge, orrneven suspicion, of guilt in the matter," continued the commandingrnofficer, for Hal in truth was esteemed much too fine a young soldier tornbe suspected by his officers in the present case.rnrn"Thank you, sir," Hal replied.rnrnThe inquiry was soon over and proved as resultless as that made alone byrnLieutenant Greg Holmes in the middle of the night. The officers left andrnthe men prepared to hasten out for breakfast formation.rnrn"I never thought Overton would do a trick like that," remarked a lowrnvoice behind the young corporal, but Hal heard it.rnrn"Oh, you can't tell. Sometimes these quiet fellows are the worst. Stillrnwaters run deep, you know."rnrn"I suppose other fellows in the squad room are thinking the same,"rnthought Hal, his heart throbbing with pain.rnrnHe more than half guessed the truth--that the seed of suspicion againstrnhim was already sown--that henceforth he would be watched by nearly allrneyes.