"Well, Carey, my gallant aide-de-camp and friend, I am to lose you, it seems; but then what is my loss is your gain, as you have been promoted to a first lieutenancy, and ordered to report at once to General Miles for special duty," said Colonel Crandall, commandant of an advanced military post upon the border of the Indian country, and he held in his hands an official paper just received by courier.
The one whom he addressed had just entered his quarters, having been sent for to report immediately to the commandant, and, at the words of his superior, his face lighted up with enthusiasm, and he said, warmly:
"All that I am, Colonel Crandall, I owe to you, for it was you that sent me, a border boy, to West Point, and gave me the opportunity of becoming what I am more proud of than anything else in life, that of being an officer in the Army of the United States. My advancement has been through you alone, sir, and though I leave you with regret, I am glad to go into the field once more, for I wish to win another bar, sir, upon my shoulder-strap."
"And you will, mark my words, Carey, for there is to[Pg 4] be trouble with the Indians, as you predicted, for General Brooke writes me that your full report to him has been thus far proven correct, and that is why you are needed now, on account of your perfect knowledge of the country and the Indian character. But let me say to you that you place too much stress upon what I did for you in the past, for you had it in you to make yourself all that you have done, as otherwise you would never have gotten through West Point, and if I had my way to-day I would make you a captain. But you are to go at once, and bear dispatches as well, and your traps shall follow by wagon-train later."