“Of course, it’s just a guess,” explained Frank, “and I may be all wrong. But it seems to me it’s a reasonable guess. From what Dick says, the man seems to be out of his head. No sane man would go through all those drill motions all by himself. And you know that Bart was always a crank on the manual of arms. There wasn’t a quicker or smarter man at drill in the whole Thirty-seventh. We know that poor Bart was out of his head when he escaped from the hospital. What more natural than that his twisted ideas should go back to the very thing that he used to be most interested in?” “By Jove, I shouldn’t wonder if you might be right!” cried Billy. “Then, too, what Dick said about his being ragged would chime in with that,” exclaimed Tom. “If he were just an ordinary straggler trying to catch up with the regiment, he’d be dressed all right anyway. You know how strict the officers are that the men should look smart. But poor Bart only had on his night clothes when he got away from the hospital, and he’s probably picked up pieces of clothing here and there as he had a chance. Say, fellows, can’t we get the officers to let us go back and look into the matter?” “We’ll try,” said Frank, “but I’m afraid they’d think it was a wild goose chase. But at any rate, Dick is freer than we are and I’m sure he’ll do the best he can for us. Won’t you, Dick?” “You bet I will,” replied Dick warmly. “Poor Bart was a prince, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him or for you. The more I think of it, the more I’m inclined to think that Frank may be right. There isn’t a free minute when I won’t be looking for the poor fellow.” “Even if it shouldn’t be Bart, he ought to be taken care of,” said Frank. “Just wait a minute, Dick, until I see the captain and try to get permission to go back with a squad and hunt him up.” He was off like a shot, but returned in a few minutes disappointed and chagrined. The captain had listened with sympathy, but the chance seemed to him too remote to depart from the strict orders he had received to keep all the regiment together on this momentous march. He promised, however, to notify the rear guard to keep their eyes open, and if they caught sight of the straggler, if he were such, to gather him in. And with this promise Frank had to be content. Dick left them with a repeated promise to do all he could, and the march was resumed with the Army Boys in a high state of excitement. In their hearts they knew that it was only a chance and that they might be doomed to bitter disappointment. But as Frank had said, it was at least a reasonable guess, and their hearts swelled with delight at the mere possibility of having dear old Bart back with them again. Even if his mind were wandering, they felt sure that with the care he would receive he would soon be himself again.