noon
As Wednesday 's sunset drew nigh and the mountain shadows overspread the valley , even to the opposite crests of the distant Mogollon , the garrison was athrill with suppressed excitement , for half a dozen things had happened since the flag went up at reveille . In the first place Captain Wren 's arrest had been confirmed and Plume had wired department headquarters , in reply to somewhat urgent query , that there were several counts in his indictment of the captain , any one of which was sufficient to demand a trial by court-martial , but he wished , did Plume , for personal and official reasons that the general commanding should send his own inspector down to judge for himself . The post sergeant major and the three clerks had heard with sufficient distinctness every word that passed between the major and the accused captain , and , there being at Sandy some three hundred inquisitive souls , thirsting for truth and light , it could hardly be expected of this quartette that it should preserve utter silence even though silence had been enjoined by the adjutant . It was told all over the post long before noon that Wren had been virtually accused of being the sentry 's assailant as well as Lieutenant Blakely 's . It was whispered that , in some insane fury against the junior officer , Wren had again , toward 3.30 , breaking his arrest , gone up the row with the idea of once more entering Blakely 's house and possibly again attacking him . It was believed that the sentry had seen and interposed , and that , enraged at being balked by an enlisted man , Wren had drawn a knife and stabbed him . True , no knife had been found anywhere about the spot , and Wren had never been known to carry one .