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Show 1 " cSfcgP H The loll ot the reveille drum anil H tbo trumpet' brazen falicttu did not M nerve In the lent to illiturb tho mo- M rose meditations of I'rlvnlo l'atrlck M rrsncli Tlernnn, Seventh United H HUtr cavalry, who wni walking ioil H ,nt Fort ltuiiynn, Mont,. In tin gray H of that Christina day morning In ths 1 year 10. l'rltata l'ntrlck Fraueli M Tlernan, Troop K. until day beforo B yesterday n nant of twenty-aeven B years standing, was now walking pott Ilka the vcrleal "rookie- In the Tort H Itunyon outfit, tedueo lo the rank by M the rinding of n court martial for H drunkenness and that court martial H convened lir tho order f hli colonel H And tho colonel, the man nltli whom Tlernnn I've known the chevron and the plain lt-ev to do tho trick as well rromlfo me " The anawtf came half aulklly: "Well, If ou wjnt we to promlae, I will." Then the trooper turned and strode away to the liable, taking no notice of tho hand which ho knew Instinctively wu held out to grasp hit. At the atablea he threw a Mddle 01 j to Joe Hooker, and with a more vl- done dig from the apur than the lioree . had ever before felt from that heel et out at a "charge" pace acroaa the prairie Mllea Cltr came In eight. Tlernan rode past the tcattereil out , lying aharkfi, and reaching Iho heart HP, in tiii: iioi.ix".v in Tin: dank hi: saw tiiiii:i: foumjj. H Tlernan had roldlcrcd nil through the B jcar that tho officer ni rising itep H by etep from tho rnnka of a subaltern H of horao to that ot the command ot eH the crack cavalry regiment of tho ser- jB vlct f After the now guard had been H mounted that morning Private Tier H .nan mado bla way to hl quarter and l without n word li hla fcllawa, left tho j (brracka and headed fur the stable. Hl iAa ho paaaed tho door ot the rornmls- m sary the Colonel enmo out and met 1 lilm face to face Tlcrnan'a hand went H to bla cap In rigid aalulr B) 'Uood morning, Hargeant," ald 1 Colonel Illake. The old title allppcd H naturally 1 J Trlvalo Tlernan, tlr, now." wna 1 tb uniwer In a tono that Implied It H t'HIVATE I'AI KICK FUANCtS T1KU- aL9B would bo a plcaaaro lo aid, "Thank XjgB "Aa sou will, Tlornan; whero aro IXh fou going!" IHQH "I'm an old guard post: I've walked HKfl roat nil night and I'm going to rlJo ( over to Miles City, air." MK "Aro you going to drink today, ser- EW grant!" tho tltlo again. nUl "l'rlvato, sir; I don't know; there' HR cot taauy tbat care." IHE "Tlernan, we've soldiered In tho HR tamo commend for nearly thirl) years. jflH Yours was a growing fault. A deep HH Interest and a liking anmetlme move SHH a man to do a lUai.ree.iUlo duty. BjH Enough of this, however, 1 want sou fLHE to premise me that you won't drink WyfBm today. Oot out ot tho mud, Tlernan; EjH ret out ot the mud. l'ronilie mt you'll H9 cot drink " kWI "What a my word worth? I'm not fiH aa offli cr and n gcntleninu " I fHfl "! iloea not tlwaa need n strap on Hj ths shoulder to nuke a canUniu, of tho placo made atrnlght for tho bar ot the "Jolly Troiper" llo called fur brandy, tilled tho glaa. raised It. and then us If mirrored In Its content ho read tho words: "I've known tho chevron and tbo plain sleevo to do tho trick us well " Tlernnn put the liquor bark un tho bar. paid for It, nnd turned turn-ed for tbo door Thrn the thought ot the gibe of tho recruits came Into his mlud Ilka n Inlfe. He turned to tho bar again, touched the glass, dropped It and then said sharply "(live mo a bottlo of brandy" He took tbo llnak outside and put It In Ills saddlo bag. Thus far ho had kept tho letter ot bla word. Tlernnn headed Joe Hooker for tho railroad station. Tho wind was soughing sough-ing along In a way which tho experienced experi-enced trooper knew presaged a billiard bill-iard At the station platform Tlernan found tho post ambulance. Tho driver said that ho had been sent over ti meet Colonel lllako'a sister, Mrs. Car-ruthcra, Car-ruthcra, her son and tho Colonel's daughter. Miss Molly Illake. 'They nrilved," said the driver In response to Tlcrnan'a question, "on an earlier train than wae expected and left for tho post In an open wagon before be-fore I arrived Mrs. Carruthcr'a son. Hbo camo with her, hired tho team, said he know tho way, nnd would drive the party ovei. they've had halt an hour tho start, and If they keep lo the new road they can make the post beforo this blltsard Is strong enough to hurt them It's too late now fur me to put back, howover, and I'm going to stay here." Tlernan looked at the sky. The clouds bad banked up thickly, and tho snow was coming faster and fattor, blown by a constantly rlilng wind "The last tlmo young Cnrruthers was at tho post," he thought, ' the old road was In use," Ho doe not know of the short new one. It ho tnkes the old trnll round tho bluff they're lost." Theu bo thought of Molly, whom tan years ugo In the tar-off Apache country, coun-try, he had tnurht to ride Molly, for whom he had been bodyguard all through her childhood. Without n word to a soul ho mounted and atruck oft Into tho very teeth of the storm, "Don't fall me thl day. Joe Hooker." bo anlil. The bone, aa If In answer, gallopod steadily forward, the air seemed turned to lie, yet the wind kept ever rising. They came at last to tho partlDg of tho old and the new roada Ttsrnan slipped from lilt horse, and at a part ot tho now dlauiod trnll, shsltsr'ed slightly by in embank 1 inent, he found the fr)i marks of a whool Carruthtm bad taken the old I roundabout t'oad, The bllaaard was HHHHHlMHI at II height T rnan Mlnif lll horse and bending low over Bt13" die kept him lo bis talk withM"-'' aging words l'or aa hour that Pl tesullly on In the face ot the leaf''' To any other thin that p tf.t1' soldier and atred the bllanrd ''' have meant death. He bad nttr-'0 overtake (hose whom ha sossst " time to tike them Uaek to Date path The hope wa given ortfl,tt elnr Suddenly Jo Hookor anW' There was an obitructlon on tin lis I-Tlernan I-Tlernan slid from the aiddla, ' llmba already stlflacorl with tbDd - and with one hand on hla sties' bridle he led the way groping) t"r a few steps There he found anfr0-carrlago anfr0-carrlago empty and with two ht1 overcount In the trail. TlentB heart nearly failed him. He kbit bo was almost en tho point wheti tho trail rounded tbo bluff. I'eruapi Utf carriage occupants had sought ier under the Ice of the cmbanktMt Toward It he mado his painful wv A cry came faintly to hla par nborita howling of the storm. Ho itumii;eioi with bis left band still graining tt)'-ly tt)'-ly Joe Hooker' bridle. In anaac moment the sticp embankment ii-l out some ot the fury of tho iM and the Uriwrig nccdlcllke snov to ed tor a moment to blind his vHM lleforc him la a hollow ot the Utah he saw three for aw. Two were Irate, the other was knecllnBi H1' tho soldier realised tbat tb trite face ot young Carrutban was torsul toward him. while from the Up 'tie tho smothered cry, "Sergeant Mr-nan Mr-nan " , f Tlernan atiimhted forward and salt down beside the motionless float, bait cored with snow. "Have them," came In nnEtifrW tones from the boy. Tlernan rt&M tho uenreat form and looUil Intjtic fsre of Molly Illake Ilxposure sl well-nigh done It work. Theh a thought flatbed Into hla mind, lest with an action a quick a the thoiiM he sprang to tho aide of hla horse iVl thrust his hand Into the aaddle ut Thero was the bottle ot brandy lntt ' In a trice a quantity of tho ttlmulMt was furred between tho lips ot tX norm's victims nnd signs of rehire i Ing ronsclouine were almost Imw dlate Tlernnn used Ills saddlo bits-ket bits-ket nnd overcoit ns a further protection protec-tion and soon succeeded In getting in three Into n still more sheltered noc I After long waiting the storm aulwill-ed, aulwill-ed, and then came tho thump of huf falls, A minute later a troop ot ca-alry, ca-alry, led by Colonel Illake, broil round tho edge ot the bluff. Tb Colonel slipped trort his horn not look his daughter Into bis arms. Tht troopers atarted a tiro, and when lu genial warmth had made Itself fell tbo story was told In n few word "Uergeant Tlernan," said Colonel Illake, "tbat bottle of brandy lived three lives" "Maybe." returned Tlernan, but yoi may thank what jou said this inorn-j Ing tor there being a drop In I'-i-AJ Patrick Krancls TlcrnanrtnT?iTl first icrgeant IC troop, Seventh ' airy, wears a masslvo gold watch, p-1 scribed on the Inililo of ono cats tie ' thee words: "l'rom Molly Illito lo Kergeant Tlernan. Non-Comralutaixd Officer and Oentleman." Wllhli Iho back case Sergeant Tlernan lial engraved en-graved these "l'ro known thostv ran nr tho plain aleevo to do thitrlrlc as well. Christmas Day. 1990" |