"I've got a job for you, Peck, and there's good pay in it, too. It's this way: There's a young man here, Lieutenant Lang, in command of one of these companies; he's got plenty of money; his father's rich an' furnishes him plenty. He's a first-rate fellow. But he's considerably embarrassed just now," he continued; "the captain of the company has been away from it for several months, leaving the lieutenant in command, and during that time he has received a lot of government property, for which he's got to account, of course, and he's kept no accounts and has nothing to show what's become of this stuff. You see, he's in a bad fix, and unless he can find some one who understands these affairs to help him out, he's going to have to pay the government several hundred dollars--maybe as much as a thousand or two--out of his own pocket, or his daddy's rather. He stated his case to me and asked if I knew of any one that he could get to straighten up his company papers; and when I saw you I remembered that you used to be company clerk in your old company at Fort Riley, and I thought you would know how to help him out of the scrape, if anybody would. He'll be willing to pay you big for it. What do you say to the job?" "I hardly know what to say," I replied. "I'll have to consult my partners over at the camp before I can give an answer. It may be that I can arrange with them to get away from the wolf hunting business long enough to do this work for the lieutenant, but I can't promise it till I consult Tom and Jack." "Well, come back into my office," said Weisselbaum, "and let me make you acquainted with Mr. Lang, and you can talk it over with him." On following him into his back room I was introduced to a pleasant-looking young officer of about twenty-five, who wore the uniform and shoulder-straps of first lieutenant of cavalry, but whose appearance showed evidences of dissipation. He seemed pleased to find a man who understood Uncle Sam's ways of transacting business, and still more gratified when I told him that I thought possibly I could find means to relieve him of a part, if not all, of his accountability; which he knew meant not only the saving of so many dollars, but would prevent an official investigation that might result in his dismissal from the service. I told him I could not promise to take charge of his papers and begin on the work until I had consulted my partners. He would pay me a hundred dollars, he said, to make the effort and do what I could for him, and two hundred if I succeeded in clearing him of all his accountability and put his company papers in good shape, so that his company clerk could thereafter keep them straight. I promised him that I would return in a day or two probably prepared to go to work on his accounts. This so pleased him that he called for a bottle of champagne, in which, however, I declined joining him and retired, leaving him and Weisselbaum drinking the wine.