"No, sir," replied that officer, flushing at the intimation that he could have had anything to do with it, for Greg had passed the paper to him.
"I will keep that note, then," said Colonel Cleaves, taking it, "in the hope that I may later find out how it came to be here. Captain Cartwright, do you deny that Captain Prescott did no more than to parry your blows and thrust you back off your balance?"
"That was all he did, sir."
"And you made two distinct efforts to hit him?"
"Y-y-yes, sir."
"Was anything said that, in your opinion, justified you in attempting to strike a brother officer?"
"At the time I thought Captain Holmes had justified my attempt to \ strike him."
"Do you still think so?"
"N-no, sir. I was undoubtedly too impetuous."
"And you attempted to strike Captain Prescott only because he tried to restrain you from striking a brother officer?"