Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE PUNISHMENT ON reaching camp and reporting himself, Dick was sent to his tent, where he slept until he was aroused by the bustle at reveille. He had not expected to sleep; but he was young and physically tired, and the shock of trouble had, as sometimes happens, a numbing effect. He awoke refreshed and composed, though his heart was heavy as he dressed, because he feared it was the last time that he would wear his country's uniform. The suspense was trying as he waited until the morning parade was over; then he was summoned to a tent where the Colonel and the Adjutant sat. " I have a telegram asking if you have arrived," the Colonel said in a curious, dry tone. " You must understand that you have laid yourself open to grave suspicion." " Yes," Dick answered, wondering whether the Colonel meant that it might have been better if he had run away. " Very well. You admitted having received the plans. What did you do with them ? " " Buttoned them into the left pocket of my coat. When I got to Storeton, the envelope was gone." " How do you account for that?" " I can't account for it, sir." The Colonel was silent for a few moments, and then he looked fixedly at Dick. " Your statements were very unsatisfactory last night, and now that you have had time to think over the matter, I advise you to be frank. It's plain that you have been guilty of gross negligence, but that is not the worst. The drawings are of no direct use to the enemy, but if they fell into their hands they might supply a valuable hint of the use to which we mean to put the pontoons. You see what this implies ? " " I don't know how we mean to use them, sir, and I don't want to hide anything." " That's a wise resolve," the Colonel answered meaningly; and Dick colored. After a... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.