“How then, Sergeant,” and the Colonel spoke very soberly, “do you account for his denouncing you as his assassin?”

“I presumed he was influenced by my arrest, sir; that the shock had affected his brain.”

“That supposition will hardly answer.  The Lieutenant is not severely wounded, and this morning appears to be perfectly rational.  Yet he insists you committed the assault; even refers to you by name.”

The accused man pressed one hand to his forehead in bewilderment.

“He still insists I shot him?”

“Yes; to be frank, he ’s rather bitter about it, and no facts we have brought to bear have any apparent weight.  He swears he recognized your face in the flare of the first discharge.”

The Sergeant stood silent, motionless, his gaze on the Colonel’s face.

“I do not know what to say, sir,” he answered finally.  “I was not there, and you all know it from the men of my troop.  There has been no trouble between Lieutenant Gaskins and myself, and I can conceive of no reason why he should desire to involve me in this affair—­unless,” he paused doubtfully; “unless, sir, he really knows who shot him, and is anxious to shift the blame elsewhere to divert suspicion.”

“You mean he may be seeking to shield the real culprit?”

“That is the only explanation that occurs to me, sir.”

The Colonel stroked his beard nervously, his glance wandering to the faces of the other officers.

“That might be possible,” he acknowledged regretfully, “although I should dislike to believe any officer of my command would be deliberately guilty of so despicable an act.  However, all we can do now is endeavor to uncover the truth.  You are discharged from arrest, Sergeant Hamlin, and will return to your troop.”

Hamlin passed out the door into the sunshine, dimly conscious that his guarded answers had not been entirely satisfactory to those left behind.  Yet he had said all he could say, all he dared say.  More and more firmly there had been implanted in his mind a belief that Molly McDonald was somehow involved in this unfortunate affair, and that her name must be protected at all hazard.  This theory alone would seem to account for Gaskins’ efforts to turn suspicion, and when this was connected with the already known presence of a woman on the scene, and the smallness of the weapon used, the evidence seemed conclusive.

As far as his own duty was concerned, the Sergeant felt no doubt.  Whatever might be the cause, there was no question in his mind but that she was fully justified in her action.  Disliking the Lieutenant from the first, and as strongly attracted by the girl, his sympathies were now entirely with her.  If she had shot him, then it was for some insult, some outrage, and he was ready to protect her with his life.  He stopped, glancing back at the closed door, tempted to return and ask permission to interview Gaskins