| Show I fN tRYP RTIz I LIf By Gapt Gftas King U S 3 Authoro The Colonels Daughter The I Deserter From the Ranks Dun r t raoen Ranchr TWO Soldiers I t r t = = 1f Copyright 1890 B3 J B Wppincotl Company rhiladel1 t phia published special arrangementwith them CHAPTER L The crash of a rifle a heavy fall a moan rife silence It must have been nearly midnight The lights in the barracks and at the old hospital beyond had long since been extinguished and only here and there along the row of officers quarters and at the guard house suggestively planted half way down the slope toward the post traders store was there sign of wakeful life One or two upper windows gave forth a feeble gleam and there was quite a jovial glow pouring from the open doorway of the colonels big house across the dark rectangle It fell upon the tall whit flagstaff and displayed it from base t crosstrees a solitary ghost like shaft and then with gradually diminishing dimin-ishing power illumined the graveled pathway that bisected theparade and led from the broad flight of steps in front of the commanding officers to the majors ma-jors on the southern side Overhead the stars were glittering in an absolutely cloudless sk Not a breath of air was stirring the forest down in the black depthsof the valley t the south Softened Soft-ened by distance the rush of the river over its rocky bed fell upon the ear like soothing lullaby Ten minutes earlier the sound of silvery very laughter and cheery voices had come floating across the garrison and half a dozen little groups had strolled away from the colonels gate some turning ing to right and left others crossing in the broad stream of light from his open portals One by one the doors of the various quarters had opened to admit their occupants a few lingering goodnights good-nights had been exchanged between gallant gal-lant young bachelors and some dainty onn enwrapped infleecy burnous and then even those night owls the youngsters young-sters had betaken themselves to their domiciles One after another doors were closed lights popped up in the second floor windows curtains were drawn the lights enshrouded and finally a silence a of solitude spread its mantle over the parade and the corporal of the guard leaning against the gate post at the southwestern entrance bethought him how expressive was the sign the Indians made for night He was of medium height but an athletic ath-letic v l built young fellow as any one might have seen as the corporal stood under the big lamp at the guardhouse but a few moments before He had a handsome clear cut face with a good deal of soldier bronze about the cheeks dea and jaws he wore his natty undress uniform with an easy grace and carried the long Springfield a though it were a toy The crossed rifles on his forage cap the buckle of his cartridge belt even the copper cartridges themselves gleamed in the lamplight The chevrons chev-rons on his sleeve the narrow stripe along tho seam of his trousers the Ber lin gloves he wore were all spotlessly white and Corp Brent was what the men were wont to call a dandy Jack though there was not a man in the troop barracks at the western end of the parade pa-rade who cared more than once toput on the gloves with the dandy Brent had speedily demonstrated the fact that he could outspar any man in the cavalry portion of the garrison and that only Sergt Connors of C company was able t beat him in a bout In the little battalion of infantry too had Brent was a popular man so he been in the cavalry command that recently re-cently occupied the post but these fellows fel-lows of the Eleventh who had but late 1v Tnfirrliwl in spftTnefl rather slow to discover 0 h many good traits Very I possibly they did not like the apparent ease with which he had defeated the I champions they had so confidently sent against him Still it was a good natured vindictive sort of that I not yindictye sor jealouythat soldierly rivalry between the two corps that seems irrepressible and that really I does no great harmand Brent had begun j be-gun t win friends among the troopers j I who liked the frank laughing way he I had when an order was suddenly issued ha by the new post commander the enforcement 1 en-forcement of which stirred up a row As the last visitor left the colonels I gate and he closed his door thereby I shutting out the broad gleam that almost al-most like that of the headlight of a locomotive loco-motive had shot athwart the parade Corp Brent was pondering over this very matter I I Col Morris was a man who hated ir i 1 regularityof any kind and a the grass began tosprout in the spring he noted that it failed to grow along what was evidently a short cut between the southwest south-west gate the way to town and thS infantry in-fantry barracks the eastern end The former post commander a cavalryman like himself had not paid much attention atten-tion to this sort of tiling and the infantry in-fantry had grown to look upon the shortcut short-cut aaa sort of thoroughfare sacred to their uses no officer ever had occasion t go that way When therefore the beaten pathway was plowed up and re sodded and an order was issued that the men must confine themselves to the gravel path or roadway there were just a few old foot solders who saw fit to grumble and some of them returning late at night from a visit on pass to the neighboring town made sarcastic allusions allu-sions to the new order u they trudged homeward under the windows of the officers quarters o the south side Others still trusting to darkness and a theory that all officers should b abed at that hour proceeded to wear a parallel N path and these two transgressions being b I be-ing occasionally repeated and the officer of the day having twice come upon the transgressors without having captured one of then number for the doughboys dough-boys were fleet of foot a second order was issued requiring all enlisted men returning to the post between tattoo and reveille to enter their barracks from the rear and not to cross the quadrangle bounded by the fence There was a road all around in the rear of the barracks and but in the wet quarters spring weather it was often deep with mud and generally dark a Erebus What wonder won-der therefore that many parties still managed to slip in not exactly in defi ance of the order but because the enlisted enlist-ed men had a fine appreciation of that principle of international law which provides pro-vides that a mere paper blockade is not entitled t respect Then it was that the old man as the soldiers called the colonel ordered out his blockaders An extra sentinels post was established a sentry was ordered stationed at the southwest gate from tattoo until reveille and as all the cavalry were barracked on the west side near their stables and the the offenders a infantry were manifestly fenders so argued the colonel the three additional sentries required were ordered taken from among their number This order made guard duty a trifle gard tfe harder and the infantrymen a trifle madder Out of sheer mischief some of them took to passing up the road between be-tween the guard house and the traders entering northwest gate and stalking I across the parade in stealthy column of files from that direction facetiously decorating dec-orating their trail with empty beer bottles bot-tles whisky flasks or sardine boxes over which the police sergeant spent sometime some-time and blasphemy after reveille next morning Then the colonel ordered the northwest gatelocked at tattoo and the laughing rascals climbed the fence He I would not order out more sentries but he gave the officer of the day directions t have a patrol in readiness at the flagstaff flag-staff between 1 and 1 that night and then some fine foot racing resulted in which the patrol came out second best The colonel ordered the five infantrymen infantry-men who happened to be on pass arrested and brought to trial before a garrison court and the court promptly acquitted every man It was established that they had all obediently gone around the garrison gar-rison they hd even taken the trouble to call the attention of the Sentry on No 4 t that fact and then it dawned upon the commanding officer that some of those infantry scamps were as they would have expressed it putting up a job at his expenses and that half a dozen of the fleetest footed among them i I were just for a lark slipping out of quarters quar-ters after 1 oclock and around to the northwest gate vaulting the fence with i the agility of monkeys and then playing play-ing the old game of Tom Tom pull away with his patrol They had not i had so much fu in a year I Col Morris had sense enough to know that i lIe Ipst his temper and got to I I blustering the men would regard it as a victory He issued no new orders Suspicion Sus-picion had fallen on a squad of rollicking rollick-ing young Irishmen in Company F all of whom were members of the battalion I baseball nine A match game was to come off two days later with the club I from Fort Lawrence and local interest and bets were running high Alas when the morning of the eventful day I came around four of the fleetest base i runners in the Rifle nine languished in j the guard house arrested at reveille by order of their own captain for absence j from quarters at midnight The colonel colo-nel had simply let them get out then I I ordered check roll callwith doors barred i and they stood self exiled Fancy the consternation among the lovers of the J national game Even the cavalry had backed the local nine against that from Lawrence and well knew that if substi tutes had to be put in there was no earthly chance of their winning Manifestly said the battalion theres no man but Corp Brent to get us out of the scrape He was captain and shortstop short-stop of the nine and on him they rallied forthwith Give me your word men I that theres to be no more of this monkey busne and Ill go to the colonel myself i my-self Refuse and the game goes to Fort Lawrence nine to nothing for we cant play without Lynch and Cooney on the surrender bases It was a case of unconditional suender The colonel had kindly received the young corporal had listened to the tale of woe and sat silently pondering a moment I mo-ment Then he looked up You say I the game must go against you without these four men he asked I I I Yes sir Indeed I would not play I without them We would far better let I the game go by default than have the I record published a it assuredly would be in the army as well as the local papers I pa-pers with all the errors scored against u This nine of ours has not been beaten by any team in the department as yet I and it would be an unearned victory for I I Fort Lawrence I I Colonel Morris sat keenly studying tlie young soldiers face He made no answer for a moment and when he spoke it was of an utterly irrelevant matter I Have you not served somewhere under my command before this corporal I The color sprang to Brents face There i was an instant of hesitation then a firm but respectful answer Nowhere sir I have been in the army only two years and this is my first station since leaving the depot at Davids island Then as though eager t get back to a more pressing matter I the colonel will not consider me as proposing propos-ing a compromise and will take it as it is meant I can promise I think that there will be no more of thia night prowling across the parade on tho part of our men at least Horns looked sharply up fromunder h shaggy brows What do ron mean What man would have occasion to cross the hve any occion t parade pa-rade but the infantry i I mean < in allrespect sir that thee I may be men or at least a man who haying hay-ing no occasion t cross the parade will do so simply for the sake of making trouble sir I plain words a cavalryman sir5 s The adjutant sitting at his desk I dropped his pen and looked quickly up and thesergeant major going out with a bundle of papers found means to halt at the office door a though to hear what might follow Mr Mason the adjutant turned quietly caught the sergeant majors ma-jors eye and gave a quick but expressive express-ive jerk of the head in the direction of the outer room The sergeant major took the hint and vanished I j But the clerks had heard the corporals intimation that some trooper was connected con-nected with the transgression for which the ball playing quartet were coned leav The door was immediately closed ing them t draw their own inferences and make their own comments They did not hear the colonels next remark I i I any man in the cavalry is guilty in this matter there is only one whom I can I suspect Can you name him Corp Brent flushed again but finally replied I beg the colonel not to ask me to answer when as I said before I have no proof whatever Col Morris turned and pondered a moment Finally he whirled about in his revolving chair Corp Brent if these four men were of my own regiment I would certainly certain-ly refuse your request A matters stand I will not spoil the chances of the Rifle nine They will therefore be turned over to you to take their part in the game and tomorrow must stand their trial before the garrison court And when Corp Brent left the office infinitely rejoiced the colonel turned to his staff officer Where do you suppose the recruiting I officers picked up a fellow like that He has the language of an educated man He was enlisted in New York was the reply and I have frequently noted I him on guard They tell me he has more j I influence over the men in his battalion I than any other noncommissioned officer and I am glad he has promised that there will be no more of this night business And yet two days afterward the colonel sent for Corp Brent to say that the agreement was being violated Three soldiers had been seen running from the southwest gate across the parade the night before The sentry had been taken off on the strength of the arrangement i arrange-ment the Rifle nine had won the game amidst great enthusiasm and there was I I liberal transfer of treasury notes inconsequence The infantr and consequence infantry many of the cavalrymen were rejoicing in unaccustomed un-accustomed wealth between pay days and applications for passes to visit town had been of unusual number The four culprits had pleaded guilty to their offense of-fense and been awarded some light fine The dough boys fully appreciating the colonels consideration in the matter meant to stand their as fully by promise to Brent I was with not I little feeling therefore that they received the news that the compact was violated That Saturday evening in some mysterious mys-terious way Corp Mullen of the guard sprained his wrist just after tattoo and though Brent was not the next man on the roster with the adjutants full consent con-sent he appeared armed and equipped at I the guard house and reported for duty as I Mullens successor in charge of the second sec-ond relief Examining the list of men absent on pass ho made mental note of two in his own battalion and looked visibly visi-bly disappointed when he scanned the c cavalry names I had been ordered that all men returning from pass should at the house leave their report guard papers I pa-pers with the officer of the guard and then return to their quarters those of I the infantry battalion passing around out e the officers houses those of the cavalry entering their barracks by the rear steps at once Three days of sunshine and breeze had dried the ground so that the paths around the post were in perfect order and except ex-cept that it mado their walk longer by some two hundred paces there was no discomfort in obeying the order Tho first batch of returning soldiers appeared about halfpast 1 surrendered their passes and went quietly away to their barracks Another squad appeared about ten minutes later but there was I still no sign of the two whose names Brent had noted and whose pass expired I at midnight It was then that the young soldier with the permission of the officer of the guard strode quickly over to the southwest gate a hundred yards away From here he noted the dispersal of i I the little party that had been spending i i the evening at the colonels here he had I I straightened up and standing under the j lamp post tendered his soldierly salute I 1 I to Capt and Mrs Lane as they passed in front of him repeating it an instant I after when a young lady with dark sparkling eyes looked him quickly over as she tripped by on the arm of her escort es-cort and while the latter held open the gate of the brick quarters at the corner almost within earshot she inquired I Who is that infantrv comnrjvl MY Hearn i That Oh you didnt get here in I time for the ball game Miss Marshall or you wouldnt have asked Thats Corp Brent captain of the Rifle nine Cant we persuade you come in a few minutes Mr Hearn called Mrs I Lane in her sweet cordial voice Yes do come Hearn chimed in the I captain ever ready to second his wifes motion I The lieutenant hesitated an instant and glanced at the girl who had just stepped within the gr but as she said nothing that seemed in any way pressing press-ing he raised his forage cap and pleasantly pleas-antly declining bade them good night and went briskly away Opening her window five minute later to close the outer blinds Miss Marshall glanced down from tbove the piazza roof and saw the corpoi al of the guard still standing there under the lamp apparently waiting He loked quickly up at sound of the creaking shutter then turned aside The nett moment before she could fasten the blind the sentry at the guardhouse guard-house sung out Number 112 oclock ocock The coporal leaned his rifle against the fence quickly extinguished the lamp and all in front of the quarters was darkness dark-ness Down at the guard house she could see the bleary light of the oil lamp and the dim form of the sentry pacing to and fro she stood there by the window straining her ears for the watch call of the distant sentries far over by the hay btacks and wood yard then nodded her head approvingly at the soldierly ring in the voice of No 1 a he sung out the final alls well Peering through the shutters she was wondering what had become of the corporal when the latch of their gate clicked the rusty hinges gave a sudden squeak there was a rattle as of a falling rifle a muttered ejaculation ejacula-tion she could just dimly make out a i shadowy form stooping to pick up the gun and then cautiously reclosing the II gate Then instead of moving away there it leaning against the fence 5 evidently Corp Brent had business there and had come to stay Instantly she bethought her of the talk she had heard among the officers about the colonels colo-nels order prohibiting the men from crossing the parade of the implied promise I prom-ise that no more violations should occur in recognition of the colonels having released re-leased the quartet of roysterers in time for the great match game and of the alleged al-leged violation of this contract She was a young woman of quick perception Brent had evidently posted himself thereto there-to capture the malefactors should they appear I Quarter of an hour passed without the faintest sound from without She heard Capt Lane extinguishing the lamps in I the parlor below and Mrs Lane had I paror anl come tripping up t her door to say II good night but seeing that her guest I i was writing refrained from coming farther though Miss Marshall promptly I laid aside her pen and diary and cor j I dially bade her enter All was quiet I I within and without and she was just I I about pulling down the shade when I I peeping through the blinds she saw the t I dark shadowy form at the fence move quickly stealthily into the road The next moment there came the stem low I j toned challenge I I I Halt you men I There was an instant scurry and rush a muttered oath two shadowy forms darted out by the gate and at top speed their flying footsteps could be dimly I heard rushing tiptoe around to the back of the garrison But there was no pursuit I pur-suit One man evidently had stood his ground Where are you going was Brents question in the same low stern tone To my quarters was the answer in accents that were plainly defiant Who are you and what business is it of yours I am the corporal of the guard and you are disobeying orders in i entering t the garrison Face about and go with me to the guard house I You cant arrest me by God Im going right to my quarters Tin not going t cross the parade I i That will do Face about Brents i voice was heard You know perfectly well that you disobeyed orders in entering i enter-ing that gate Whats your nameawl your trcop I None of your damned business Tin tending to my affairs you tend to yours j I I am and I arrest you whoever you are Not another word nowunless you want me to use force j I Dont you dare lay a hand on me damn you r dont recognize your authority au-thority Youre not corporal of the I who marched guard guard saw on this morning and you were not one of I them Get out of my way or Ill Then came sudden scuffle an oath a gasping cry One man could be heard running with lightning speed to tho gloomy outlines of the cavalry bariacks 1 close at hand another seemed to dash in cose pursuit Then came the bound of a stunning stun-ning blow the crash of a rifle upon the gravelly road a heavy fall a moan l i Then silence CHAPTER H 3 I I I 1 1 I I j A4 4 I o Now take your cap off There was a frown on Col Morris face on Sunday morning that boded i for officer or man who could not come 1 up to the standard of the post commander command-er on the forthcoming inspection The 011 order of things was still in existence and a beneficent administration had not yet issued its ban against martial exercises exer-cises of any kind upon the Lords day First cyll for inspection in full dress had gone as the soldiers say as the colonel appeared in the panoply of his profession profes-sion Uf m the front piazza glancing modified approval at the glistening su j I face of his top boots and the brilliant polish of his spurs Down at the front gate his orderly stood every item of his less and equipment a model of soldierly C I trimness Out in the center of the parade pa-rade a little party of the guard hal just lowered the storm flag that had been 1 hoisted at dawn and were running up in its stead the irreat irarrison standard J if Imrrson WHUats 1U1U3 Lout L l i L-out lazily in response to the soft breez now rising from the westward bluffs Over at the barracks the men had come pouring forth tho neat dark blue I andvhite of the infantry at the eastside east-side contrasting favorably with the glaring glar-ing yellow trimmings of the cavalry battalion swarming along the walk and streaming from the stairways and galleries gal-leries of their crowded quarters like so many full plumaged hornets On the B verandas across the parade helmeted officers and ladies in dainty muslins began be-gan to appear an1 along the row to his right and left the sheltered porches were similarly occupiec But the post commander com-mander stood alore Madame his better half had visitors Breakfast was not quite finished and she was devoting herself her-self to their entertainment knowing well that her liege lord was feeling in no mood for such light duty Almost the first thing that the colonel heard on going downstairs this bright Sunday morning was an animated colloquy col-loquy in the kitchen between cook and his man of all work 1 old darky who had ollowed the family fortunes for yejirt Jake had learned from the police sergeant while he was at work on the colonels boots and spurs that Corp Brent had been slugged by somebody the night before and was now lying unconscious un-conscious in the hospital There was time only for very investigation before be-fore his guests came down Mr Wallace Wal-lace was officer of the guard and in response re-sponse to the message brought by the colonels orderly had gone at once to his quarters and made his reportS report-S Somewhere about twenty minutes after I af-ter midnight the sentry on No1 had called r1 Werner out saying there 1 appeared to be something wrong up by the gate Mr Wallace knowing Brent to have gone thither sprang up and went outside and saw a light being carried car-ried rapidly from Capt Lanes quarters at the corner over toward the cavalry barracks Hurrying around in front he got there just in lime to see the captain and the young lady who had recently arrived Miss Marshall raising Corp Brent from the ground He was bleeding bleed-ing from a jagged gash over the left eye and was limp and senseless After having hav-ing him carried to the hospital and arousing the steward it was found that his face and eyes were covered with red pepper Not I word as to his assailants could be learned The last men to reach the garrison w ere Murphy and Scanlan two scapegraces of company F But the sentry on No 4 declared they had come around by his post on the south side whereas Brent was lying almost al-most in front of the quarters of C troop inside the post Then again Scanlan and Murphy were both sober and neither of them men who would be likely to assault as-sault so popular and respected a fellow Brent Indeed both of them as Indeel stoutly denied having had anything to do with the case What was more Miss Marshall Mar-shall had said that she heard the alterca tion heard a scuffle and heard though I I she could not see that the man rail toward 1 to-ward the cavalry barracks with the cor ppral in pursuit Then came the sound of a shock or blow then the fall and hurrying downstairs she had called Capt Lane and lighting his little hurricane I cane lamp she had hastened out along the road the captain rapidly following I And there at the foot of C troop stairway I stair-way lay Brent bleeding profusely I It was some of our men that did it sir said Wallace regretfully and Id give a months pay to prove it on them Id give more than that if I thought I I gve could prove that no cavalryman had anything to do with it II Then the colonel had sent his orderly to ask the doctor how Brent was coming on and the doctor replied that ho was still unconscious and he really could not tell how the case would end It was from this message the orderly had just I returned Old Morris was greatly disturbed dis-turbed t He had proposed having a review re-view ofthe entire command cavalry dismounted and treating his guests to a stirring and martial sight but when the assembly sounded he hal completely changed his mind and so informed his wife Im l upset about this affair he said and imj atient to begin an investigation in-vestigation The band was ordered back to quarters quar-ters the captains were notified to inspect in-spect their companies on their own parades pa-rades and merely exchanging his helmet for forage cap an > I laying aside his saber the colonel strode over to the office passing pass-ing by the three ivalry troops that were nearest him even cutting across the parade as though to avoid salute and appeared directly in front of C troop that was drawn up in double rank and at open order farthest to the south side Lieut Hearn temporarily in command a engaged in inspecting carbines but I at sight of the regimental commander I discontinued his work and raised his hand to the visor of his helmet Go on go on Mr Hearn said the colonel grimly I did not mean to interrupt in-terrupt you Nevertheless he who had paid no attention to the other companies plainly halted in front of C and was I scanning the mens faces with eyes that were full of gloom Next he strode around the right of the line and passed down in front of the rear rank until he reached tho center where the tallest men were standing and where he fixed I his gaze upon one soldier I tall slender I but muscular fellow he looked him over I from head to foot but passed him slowly without one word A sergeant file closer noted that the fingers of the soldiers left hang twitched and closed as the colonel approached and that a lump seemed to rise in the brawny throat but was quickly quick-ly gulped down There was no other symptom though and Lieut Mason the adjutant who had joined his colonel saw that the mans eyes never wavered from their look straight to the front although al-though he might have paled a trifle under I un-der that stem searching gaze I Half an hour later inspection being I over the colonel sat in his office holding an investigation The captain of C troop was absent on sick leave at the i time and the command hal devolved upon a young officer who had won a fine record in their Arizona days and who was regarded throughout the regiment o peniitpa tao most promising or all the I subalterns He was an excellent horseman I horse-man I fine tactician and a drillmaster of whom Ills had become men hal vastly proud Under the mild mannered sway of their captain a war veteran of uncertain un-certain years C had fallen about to the foot in proficiency in drill and horsemanship horseman-ship But moment young Hear got command they began th turning over Df a very new leaf Little instruction 3f any land except mountain scouting mad been imparted in Arizona 1 ut when they came eastward and old Riggs their former colonel made way for a much better soldier discipline and drill began on the instant For a few weeks C troop had to take all the raspings and the men were disheartened dis-heartened as much by the jeers of their comrades as by the sharp raps of their colonel Hearn too was fretting himself him-self half to death but when his captain was taken ill and was compelled to turnover turn-over the troop to his subaltern the youngster took hold in I way that filled Masons soul with delight and that speedily enchanted the men From being the worst C troop soon challenged all comers for the right t bo called the best drilled at the and drled troop post Capt Lane of D had cordially congratulated Hearn on the result of his excellent effort The young fellow had that faculty facul-ty in which so many are lacking of inspiring in-spiring the men with enthusiasm and interest and by the time April was ushered in there was nothing the troopers troop-ers of C would not do for their young commander Black sheep they say exist in every flock and while fifty or more of their men swore by their lieutenant and were proud to serve under him there were perhaps two soldiers in the troop who seemed to lose no opportunity of defaming de-faming him One of these was a man named Goss who had long been on extra or daily duty as clerk for the quartermaster quarter-master and whose errors at inspection were of such an exasperating character that Mr Hearn got authority to make him attend drill until he was reported proficient This of course made Goss who prided himself on his scholarship I and superiority to the general run of tho men anything but happy and in h I wrath and discontent vented his spleen whenever possible to so at the expense I II of his jonng lieutenant h The other man was a tall dark eyed I gypsy looking tellow whose name was I I Welsh and who for several months off and on had preferred to be the captains striker or soldier servant take care of I his horses black his boots polish his I spurs and saber hew wood draw waterS I I water-S make the fires sweep the kitchen run errands and do all manner of small chores about the house than to do soldier sol-dier duty with his comrades When the captain closed up his quarters and left the post taking his family eastward with him Lieut Hearn moved in tot to-t look after them for him This was by the captains ow request and having I no use for the services of Welsh ho noti serces not fled that worthy t return to duty with the forthwith This Welsh troop forthwJh Thi bitterly I resented He insisted that the captain had told him before going that he was to stay in charge of his quarters and b I I excused from a military duty Hearn replied that there a probably some I j mistake but telegraphed to the captain i and obtained immediate reply to the ef feet that he had never given the soldier J j any such promise and that he desired I that he be now returned toduty with I the troop and taught something of the I I practical had too long duties neglected of a soldier which he I Hearn smiled to himself a ho read l this thinking whose fault it was that i I Welsh had been allowed to live in ignorance igno-rance of much of the drill and wondering wonder-ing not little at the change of heart that seemed to have come over the captain cap-tain now that ho was fairly away A smart young corporal was detailed to the two instruc give men thorough insrc gve ton in the saber exercise and the manual man-ual of the carbine and pistol in addition ad-dition to which Welsh was now required to attend all roll calls stable duty and drills with the and take his drls troop guard tour every fifth day and a disgusted man he was in consequence As the captains striker he had led a life of comparative ease for that veteran officer had long since outlived any ambition am-bition to shine in the service and looked upon it only as a means of livelihood At the outbreak of the war old Blauvelt was keeping a country store in Ohio but dropped his yardstick and sugar scoop at the first call for volunteers fought like a man all through the four years contest was wounded and having risen t be a major of volunteer infantry he decided in CO to stick to soldiering for 1 at that timo it was easy to obtain a com I mission in the regular service if a man had any congressional influence or connections con-nections at all When the army was remodeled re-modeled by the drastic process in 1871 and a a first lieutenant 11 was dropped to the supernumerary list from the regi ment of infantry with which he had been serving Blauvelt decided that he was now too old to begin storekeeping over I again and so he made vigorous effort to i be retained in tho army and together I with a few other men who did not know j I a horse from a handsaw was transferred trans-ferred to a vacancy in the cavalry and there since the placid old fellow had been evei Rejoining from the east with a batch of recruits immediately after the arrival of the regiment from Arizona Blauvelt had resumed command of C troop and had given directions that the tall gypsy looking fellow Welsh who was one of the new comers should be put in charge I I I i of his horses Next he moved those I 1 veteran quadrupeds from the troop stables to a little barn in the back yard of his own quarters Then Welsh himself i 1 him-self moved his kit from barracks to a little room in the barn and gradually became an inmate of the captains household i house-hold taking his meals under the captains I cap-tains roof performing no duty with the troop exempted from the authority of the first sergeant yet spending all his j I j the leisure moments in loafing among I companys quarters where he speedily i j gained the reputation of being surly and insolent to the noncommissioned officers I I and a mischief maker among the men I I For a recruit who had only recently enlisted I I en-listed it was surprising how much heI knew about the ins and outs of soldier lifeSergt I Sergt Wren openly accused him of i having been in service somewhere before be-fore and as he had no papers to show I he must be either 3 deserter or a bobtail bob-tail a soldier whose discharge paper has had the character cut off Welsh angrily denied this and his ignorance of saber drill and certain troop details seemed to bear him out But then seemel said Wren he might have been in the dough boys Welsh avoided the troop quarters for a while after this episode and was more civil to the sergeants but right after pay day ho again appeared eager to try his luck in any game going on Then it transpired that if not an expert with saddle and saber he was with the cards and the troopers lost their money to him without exactly understanding un-derstanding how The first sergeant reported re-ported these occurrences to Capt Blau velt and the old man seemed rmn seemel greatly vexed It was established that Welsh had been neglecting the horses while playing his game but he was not relieved re-lieved and ordered back to duty with the troop a had been expected If anything any-thing he became more insolent in manner man-ner to the sergeants than before The whole affair seemed unaccountable to the other men one morning about a month alter Welshs arrival at the post Lieut Hear I came leaping lightly up the steps to make an inspection of the barracks him the Corp Quinn seeing approach quarters had given word to the men and those of them who were in shirtsleeves shirt-sleeves jumped into their flannel blouses while others knocked the ashes out of their pipes and put them away Threo or four were seated around a little table playing cards and among these was tho gypsy fellow Welsh who had been there ever since guard mount These men too sprang to their bunks and straightened straight-ened up some items of their kits but Welsh still sat at the table grumbling at stl glblng the interruption to the game Put up those cards Welsh said a sergeant bluntly Here comes the lieutenant What do I care was the surly answer an-swer Im not under his orders Hes got no authority over me r Do as I tell you and be quick about it was the reply I i Do it yourself they aint my cards I ddt put them there answered the i man with an ugly gleam in his black eyes while he drew from one pocket apiece a-piece of chamois skin and from the other one of the captains big brass spurs There was no time for further remark I j Attention came the order from the i sergeant who happened to be nearest the door and the lieutenant entered Every man on the instant whipped off h cap and facing the middle of the long room stood erect at the foot of his bunk With his bunkevery man except one cap on the back of his head h matted hair hanging down over his eyes Welsh sat there at the table coolly polishing the spur Get up there Welsh growled low stern tones the first sergeant Off with that cap sir For all answer Welsh cocked his head on one side and apparently unmindful of the presence of an officer became critically crit-ically and approvingly absorbed studying study-ing the polish which he was imparting the smooth surface of the spur surace spnr I Did you hear that order Come to I attention sir repeated the sergeant And the men astonished atthe breach of discipline looked curiously at the recruit re-cruit now slowly and scowlingly fling fl-ing his feet He had not removed his cap when the lieutenant stood before him himWhy Why did yon not rise with the other men Welsh asked M Hear in a quiet and deliberate tone oddly at variance vari-ance with his usually quick and snappy manner and the young officer looked straight into the soldiers eyes as ho spokeDidnt Didnt suppose I had to was tho sullen reply Why not Well tactics say soldiers actually at work dont have to rise and salute officers of-ficers feer ficersAnd And what work were you doing Work for the captain cleaning his spurs sur S There was a strange silence in tho room This was a new interpretation and one for a recruit decidedly an original oneWhere did you learn that idea Welh asked the lieutenant still calmly calm-ly though his blue eyes began to dilate in a way that indicated how thoroughly he appreciated the mans defiant manner man-ner Well no matter I learned it I You have had a very bad teacher sir Take your hand out of that pocket An ugly scowl had settled on Welshs downcast face He had stuffed the chamois skin in his blouse pocket and still stood there in a slouching attitude with his cap on the back of his head Slowly in obedience to the erder he lowered low-ered his hand to tho side Now take your cap off One could have heard a pin drop all over the big room Forty men stood there in silence listening listen-ing breathlessly to this strange and unusual un-usual colloquy Reluctantly yet overawed over-awed by the steady gaze in the blue eyes of the young officer Welshs hand went up to the cap then tossed it angrily angri-ly some distance away I he expected rebuke on that score it was not forthcoming forth-coming Now get your heels together and i stand attention Youve got no right to order me around like this Lieut Hear Im on duty for the captain I amnot for any second lieutenant For an instant every nerve and muscle in the officers athletic frame seemed to quiver His blue eyes blazed with wrath and his lips set firmly under the blondo mustache There was a moment ot deathlike silence si-lence a gasp or two among the men Sergt Wrens bronzed weatherbeaten face was a picture of amaze and indignation indigna-tion Welsh himsef though realizing the insolence of his language and dreading dread-ing the consequences had finally assumed sumed the position of a soldierso far at least as his heels and legs were con cerned but his head hung forward and his eyes glanced furtively about the room a if i search of sympathy but there was not a soldier to side with him Take that man under guard were at last the words that fell from the lieutenants lieu-tenants lips A corporal stepped quickly forward Come on Welsh he mut red in no gentle tone and led the scowling trooper from the room The lieutenant calmly finished h inspection in-spection of tho quarters a red spot burning burn-ing in each cheek a he walked around from bunk to bunk Then as he turned away and lightly descended the stairs I Sergt Ross voice was heard to say Rest The men looked quickly about at one another Some of them stretched their arms to full length and gave 3 long sigh a though to find relief from the strain his And then little Duffy announced opinion By gad fellers if Id been the lieutenant I lieu-tenant Id have knocked the top of his ami head off of < I The garrison court which hied Trooper 1 Welsh for insubordinate conduct had found him guilty despite his statement that according to the tactics he wasnt required to get up and salute he being at work The evidence of the sergeants established the fact that he was playing I cards when the lieutenant approached 1 andthat the spur cleaning was a transparent trans-parent sham introduced for the occasion and for evident purpose But in view of the fact that he claimed to believe that as the captains orderly he was not under the lieutenants orders in view of I the fact that he had apparently been only ten months in service and of the further fact that his captain gave him an excellent character and pleaded for clemency for the recruit the court saw fit to let him off easily with a fine Mr Mason the adjutant and Mr Hearn were strongly of the opinion that he ought to be returned to the troop at once and taught his duties as a soldier But the colonel was away just then Maj Kenyon of the infantry was temporarily tem-porarily in command and he would not disturb old Blauvelts striker Indeed it seemed as though the troop commander was disposed to resent Hearns having ordered the man to be con finedthough the young officer was actually actual-ly in command that day the captain being be-ing on sick report It is certain too that Mrs Blauvelt made some very acrimonious acrimoni-ous criticisms of the lieutenants action and that the first story in circulation in the garrison was by no means creditable to either his tact or temper Welsh spent only two days in the guard house this time but his language during that brief incarceration was such as to intensify in-tensify the feeling among the men that he was no novice in garrison affairs He was loud in his threats against the lieutenant and full of argument as to the propriety of his conduct I was at work by God and had particular par-ticular occupation to use the language of the Tactics and youll find it in paragraph para-graph 797 and 1 wasnt required to rise and uncover Look at it and you will see for yourselves he complained And it was Sergt McKenna of the infantry in-fantry who retorted ITO BE CONTINUEDl |
