"Oh, tell us—who's your C.O.?" asked Hugh, at last.
"Superintendent Denton. Why?"
"Never mind," said Hugh, abruptly changing the conversation. And Hector forgot the matter.
But, later on that day he was greeted with the dazzling information that Hugh, while Hector was absent a moment on duty, had seen the Superintendent and the latter had consented to allow Hector six weeks' leave.
"Six weeks' leave, Hec'! Six weeks! Think of it! He didn't say a word against it. Said, in fact, he'd been contemplating sending you, as ten years without leave was quite enough for any man. And when I told him you'd refused to ask for it and I was seeing him without your knowledge, he said it was just like you—that you had a wonderful sense of duty! What more can you want? Isn't that great?"
"Hugh!" said Hector.
He was going home!
IV
News of all kinds runs swiftly through organized formations and within an hour every man at headquarters, including the prisoners in the cells, knew that Hector was going East.
While he was putting the finishing touches to his hurried preparations, the Sergeant in charge of the cells came to him.