Jack and I had seen enough of the rawness of these volunteers to fully corroborate Tom's reports, and as we drove back to camp I informed my comrade of the proposition I had received for straightening out the tangles in which the lieutenant had involved himself. "How long's it going to take you?" he asked. "About two or three weeks, I think," I replied. "Well, of course we'll let you off for that long, in consideration of the big pay you'll be getting." When we got to camp and I had stated the proposition to Tom, he replied promptly: "Jump onto it, by all means. You won't often find such chances as that for making money layin' around loose on the plains or anywhere else. That's big money for a little work. Jack an' me'll give you a leave of absence long enough to make yourself a nice little wad on the side." "No, Tom," I answered. "I won't have it that way. We have agreed, all along, that this is a full partnership of the firm of Vance, Flannigan & Peck and that whatever we make or lose we are to share equally. Jack insisted on this rule when he captured Black Prince, and I shall insist that whatever I make on this work shall be turned into the general fund." "Well, suit yourself about it," said Tom indifferently; "any way to keep peace in the family. We'll call it detached service you're on, then, instead of a leave of absence." The matter being settled, next day I rode Prince over to the fort and began looking up material to begin the work in hand. By searching the adjutant's office and quartermaster's store I found the requisite blanks and books for opening up a full set of company accounts, including muster and pay rolls, for I found the lieutenant had little or nothing in the way of papers except the invoices of property he had received. Having duly established an office in one of Lang's rooms and got everything ready for business, I said to the lieutenant: "Now, Mr. Lang, in order that you may get the full benefit of my services in this work, it is best that you have your first sergeant and company clerk in attendance here whenever they can be spared from their other duties, and let me be instructing them, so that they can continue the work after I get things straightened out for them." "A good idea," he admitted. "I'll go over to his office and have a chat with the sergeant about it, and if he thinks he'd like to learn your style of keeping accounts I'll invite him to come over and see how you do it and bring his clerk along." "Why, lieutenant," I said in some surprise at this evidence of slack discipline, "I thought you were in command of the company." "So I am; so I am. Why?" "Well, in that case, it's your place to order the attendance of your sergeant and clerk and their place to obey promptly."