BEN had spent a month of vain effort to secure his father's release. He had succeeded in obtaining for him a removal to more comfortable quarters, books to read, and the privilege of a daily walk under guard and parole. The doctor's genial temper, the wide range of his knowledge, the charm of his personality, and his heroism in suffering had captivated the surgeons who attended him and made friends of every jailer and guard.
Elsie was now using all her woman's wit to secure a copy of the charges against him as formulated by the Judge Advocate General, who, in defiance of civil law, still claimed control of these cases.
To the boy's sanguine temperament the whole proceeding had been a huge farce from the beginning, and at the last interview with his father he had literally laughed him into a good humour.
"Look here, Pa," he cried. "I believe you're trying to slip off and leave us in this mess. It's not fair. It's easy to die."
"Who said I was going to die?"
"I heard you were trying to crawl out that way."
"Well, it's a mistake. I'm going to live just for the fun of disappointing my enemies and to keep you com-
