[Transcriber's Note: The spelling inconsistencies of the original have been retained in this etext.] The Iron Game A TALE OF THE WAR BY HENRY F. KEENAN "Heavy and solemn the cloudy column Over the green fields marching came, Measureless spread like a table bread For the cold grim dice of the iron game." 1898 TO BERNARD JOHN McGRANN WHOSE LIFE AND CONDUCT EMBODY AND ILLUSTRATE THE MANLINESS, MODESTY, AND WORTH THAT FANCY DELIGHTS TO EMBALM IN FICTION THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED BY ONE AMONG THE MANY WITNESSES OF HIS NOBLE CAREER HENRY F. KEENAN NEW YORK, _25th March, 1891_. CONTENTS BOOK I. _THE CARIBEES_. CHAPTER I.--THE BOY IN BLUE II.--FLAG AND FAITH III.--MALBROOK S'EN VA-T-EN GUERRE IV.--GUELPH AND GHIBELLINE V.--A NAPOLEONIC EPIGRAM VI.--ON THE POTOMAC VII.--THE STEP THAT COSTS VIII.--AN ARMY WITH BANNERS IX.--"THE ASSYRIAN CAME DOWN LIKE THE WOLF ON THE FOLD" X.--BLOOD AND IRON XI.--THE LEGIONS OF VARUS BOOK II. _THE HOSTAGES_. XII.--THE AFTERMATH XIII.--A COMEDY OF TERRORS XIV.--UNDER TWO FLAGS XV.--ROSEDALE XVI.--A MASQUE IN ARCADY XVII.--TREASON AND STRATAGEMS XVIII.--A CAMPAIGN OF PLOTS XIX.--"HE EITHER FEARS HIS FATE TOO MUCH" XX.--A CATASTROPHE XXI.--THE STORY OF THE NIGHT XXII.--A CARPET-KNIGHT XXIII.--ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR BOOK III. _THE DESERTERS._ XXIV.--BETWEEN THE LINES XXV.--PHANTASMAGORIA XXVI.--IN THE UNION LINES XXVII.--"THE ABSENT ARE ALWAYS IN THE WRONG" XXVIII.--THE WORLD WENT VERY ILL THEN XXIX.--A WOMAN'S REASON XXX.--A GAME OF CHANCE XXXI.--TWO BLADES OF THE SAME STEEL XXXII.--THE LOST CARIBEES XXXIII.--FATHER ABRAHAM'S JOKE BOOK I. _THE CARIBEES_. CHAPTER I. THE BOY IN BLUE. When expulsion from college, in his junior years, was visited upon Jack Sprague, he straightway became the hero of Acredale. And, though the grave faculty had felt constrained to vindicate college authority, it was well known that they sympathized with the infraction of decorum that obliged them to put this mark of disgrace upon one of the most promising of their students.