"This is lighter than the one I carried out last!" he said.
"Carry it out into the courtyard," Desmond said. "I should like to look at the contents."
It was taken out to the courtyard, and one end carefully taken out.
"You see, Colonel," Desmond said, as he looked at its contents, "you would have been reduced to great straits, long before you expected it."
The colonel, who belonged to the artillery, looked into the barrel, which was full of earth.
"Empty it out!" Desmond ordered.
They did so. There was not a single cartridge in it.
"This is scandalous!" the colonel exclaimed. "I did not expect that everything would be found right, but I had no idea of such villainy as this!"
He turned to the men.
"Arrest the commissary, at once," he said.