From his porch Duane viewed Augustus approach and the man stop at the hospital, and having expected a bungle, sat to hear; but at Albumblatt's mottled face he stood up and said, "What's the matter?" And hearing, burst out: "Casey! Why, he was worth fifty of-- Go on, Mr. Albumblatt. What next did you achieve, sir?" And as the tale was told he cooled, bitter but official. "Re-enforcements is it, Mr. Albumblatt?" "The howitzer, Captain." "Good. And G troop?" "For my double flank movement I--" "Perhaps you'd like H troop as reserve?" "Not reserve, Captain. I should establish--" "This is your duty, Mr. Albumblatt. Perform it as you can, with what force you need." "Thank you, sir. It is not exactly a battle, but with a, so-to-speak, intrenched--" "Take your troops and go, sir, and report to me when you have arrested your man." Then Duane went to the hospital, and out with the ambulance, hoping. But the wholesome irony of life reckons beyond our calculations, and the unreproachful, sunny face of his Sergeant evoked marches through long heat and cold, back in the rough, good times. "Hit twice, I thought they told me," said Duane; and the steward surmised that one had missed. "Perhaps," mused Duane. "And perhaps it went as intended, too. What's all that fuss?" He turned sharply, having lost Augustus among his sadder thoughts, and here were the operations going briskly. Powder smoke in three directions at once! Here were pickets far out-lying, and a double line of skirmishers deployed in extended order, and a mounted reserve, and men standing to horse--a command of near a hundred, a pudding of pompous, incompetent, callow bosh, with Augustus by his howitzer, raising and lowering it to bear on the lone white tepee that shone in the plain. Four races were assembled to look on--the mess Chinaman, two black laundresses, all the whites in the place (on horse and foot, some with their hats left behind), and several hundred Indians in blankets. Duane had a thought to go away and leave this humiliation under the eye of Starr, for the officers were at hand also. But his second thought bade him remain, and looking at Augustus and the howitzer, his laugh returned to him.