Finally, however, Captain Dobbs, the surgeon—a bald, blunt-spoken old fellow—brought things to an issue.
“What’s the use of mincing matters?” he boomed, glancing defiantly around the circle. “Every man here believes that Grail’s at the bottom of this thing. Then why not get down to cases, instead of sitting around here like a pack of dummies?”
A little gasp, partly of relief, partly of surprise at such plain speaking, ran around the room, and everybody glanced involuntarily toward Major Appleby where he sat at the head of the table.
“H’m!” The major cleared his throat, and moved a bit uncomfortably under the scrutiny. “Without—er—going quite so far as our friend Dobbs,” he finally ventured cautiously, “I take it that no one here will deny there is some reason in what he says. We must be prudent, though, gentlemen. Remember, the honor of the army is involved.”
“Prudent! Ha!” The doctor gave a scornful cackle. “Why, the whole post has been like a whispering gallery all afternoon. I doubt if there’s a man on the reservation, from cook boy to colonel, who hasn’t been cocking his head to one side, and asking, under his breath, what there was in this business about Grail. The only person who didn’t seem to be wise to it was Grail himself. Now, let’s cut out all this innuendo and gossip, and look the facts squarely in the face. If the report that’s been going around is true, it’s unquestionably got a bearing on the affair we’re investigating; if not, the sooner we put a stopper on it and turn our searchlights in another direction, the better for all concerned. In either event, I guess the honor of the army will take care of itself.”
There was a murmur of approval as the surgeon finished speaking, followed by calls from various parts of the room for Hemingway; and eventually, in response to these demands, a flushed young lieutenant rose rather reluctantly to his feet.
“Mr. Hemingway,” the major said, “you seem to be the person best qualified to make a statement in this matter. Will you, therefore, repeat for the benefit of us all, the communication which you made in confidence to Mrs. Appleby and myself this afternoon?”
“In confidence—to Mrs. Appleby!” the doctor snorted, scarcely taking the trouble to lower his voice. “No wonder it was all over the post in less than half an hour.”
In the general eagerness to hear Hemingway, however, his growling passed unnoticed, and the young lieutenant, shifting unhappily from one foot to the other, commenced his story.
“In the first place,” he said, glancing appealingly around the circle of officers, “and as I told Major Appleby, I don’t want any one to think that I’ve been up to any sneaking or underhand business. But when a thing came right up and slapped me in the face I couldn’t help taking notice of it, especially after the colonel told all of us that he wanted us to be on our guard during the course of these experiments.”