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"Why, Edith," retorted the other, gayly, "I have been ready for half an hour haven't I, Arthur? but you were so deeply engrossed with your Rebel I hadn't the heart to interrupt." I could see the quick color as it mounted over Mrs. Brennan's throat. "Nonsense," she answered; "we have not been here that length of time." "Did the Major emerge from out the late entanglement unhurt?"
"No shootin'; I want that Reb alive!" Through the swirling smoke I recognized the malicious face of Red Lowrie as he pushed his way to the front. To me it was like a personal challenge to combat. "Rush them!" I muttered into Brennan's ear. "Hurl them back a bit, and then dodge under into the next room." I never waited to ascertain if he heard me.
"Say," whispered Eva, and there was a tinge of jealousy in her soft voice; "say, who gives you the button like Patrick Brennan's got?" "I guess maybe I turns me the dress around. Buttoned-in-front-mit-from-gold-button-suits is awful stylish. He's got 'em."
Brennan's shoulders a little way, and then loosed his hold suddenly, so that the fine curly head bumped once more against the tin pails. "Will ye gi' me a straight answer, or will ye not?" "I'll pay ye out for this when I get upon my legs!" growled Brian. "As for that young lady, she knows very well I can't " "Ye can't what?" cried Pat, rolling a threatening eye at him.
The voice was Brennan's. LIKE a flash occurred to me the only possible means by which we might escape open discovery an instant disclosure of my supposed rank, coupled with indignant protest. Already, believing me merely some private soldier straying out of bounds with a woman of the camp as companion, he had thrown himself from the saddle to investigate.
Years of constant exposure to peril in every form had yielded me a grim philosophy of fatalism that now stood me in most excellent stead. Indeed, I doubt not, had I chosen to put it to the test, my hand would have proven the steadier of the two, for Brennan's face was flushed, and he plainly exhibited the intense animosity with which he confronted me.
"Well, sir, I started up Ar-rchey Road afther th' meetin', forgettin' about Brennan's ordhers, whin a man jumps out fr'm behind a tree near th' gas-house. 'Melia murther! says I to mesilf. ''Tis a highwayman! Thin, puttin' on a darin' front an' reachin' f'r me handkerchief, I says, 'Stand back, robber! I says. 'Stand back, robber! I says. 'Stand back! I says. "'Excuse me, says th' la-ad.
Major Brennan's age, and his thoughtful kindness to me, won my respect, and I gradually came to look upon him almost as an elder brother, turning to him in every time of trouble for encouragement and help. It was the necessity of our business relation which first compelled me to come South and join Major Brennan in camp: as he was unable to obtain leave of absence, I was obliged to make the trip.
He was surprised to find that most of those he met, whom Brennan described as the "head-line boys," shared Brennan's skeptical viewpoint, rejoicing as he did when their doubts were overcome and their faith in their fellow men re-established. These men differed on the question of Gibson's sincerity in his "clean up" crusade.
P. Q. and the "chief" upheld Brennan's judgment that Hatch's story needed more corroboration than that given by his wife and that the attack on Gibson, exposing him as a fraud, would have to be postponed until one more link was added to the chain of evidence against him.
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