"I am of the opinion, sir, that it must have come from the blacking on one of my shoes as I put it on before leaving my room." There was no more to be gained from Dodge.

He was excused.

Now, Dick Prescott rose a was sworn, that he might testify in his own behalf.

Yet he could do no more, under the military rules of evidence, than to deny any guilty knowledge of the slip of paper, and to repeat the handkerchief-loaning recital substantially as Dunstan had given it.
This closed the testimony.

The president of the court announced that a recess of ten minutes would be taken, and that the room and gallery would be cleared of all except members of the court and the counsel for the accused.
As Dick turned to leave, he again turned his face toward the gallery.
He saw his Gridley friends and looked bravely into their eyes, smiling.