Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-06
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ga1lY = Eagle
A PAYMASTER'S STORY.

myhopcs were eli nippcd in the bud by th
following ,Iiss!vc:
"MAJoR: You viii proceed at once to For
Stetson; thence, with all possible dispatch, t
Fort Carson; and thence TO Fort Kearrey, q
which posts you viii pay off the enrolled mel
and officers, and also settle all duly Guthenti
Gated bis against the Office on account O.
provisions, forage camp end garrison stores
etc.
at IS particularly requested that you vii
BIO careful and exact in your return Of est
mates for the coming winter months.
"Capt Goodwin viii detail for you such
escort as you may require.
II have the honor to b1, etc,
&c. p. BOWMAN, y. L. NJ G.,
Major and Paynastcr, L. s. 4
'To G. & Cochrane@
This did not reach mo by the hands Of
Capt. Goodwin, however, whom [ should
have been happy 10 mcct: but by the hands
Of Sergt James Coanover. who came With
six raon unGer his command, to escort me on
nv way, ! | deemed surh escort sufficient.
G0oauia. who was sick with fever and cgue,
yrrote by the hand OF his clerk:
II would send you more men: but, really, |
think moro would 30 il your way. There
arc no Indians OF tie trail between jefferson
and Stetson, end certainly this escort is suf;l-
ciert against any ordinary highway inter
ro,ation fSorrt. Counover IS not 4 very
brilliant nlar; nor IS he over and above
sociable; but have found him true as steel;
md The privetes-DlaInbeIs Of my OWN CON-
pany-whon ] send with lin, you can rely
upon il. any emergency. Only-they have
the common weakness. Don't give them too
free q run at the whisky bottle. They won't
break faith with you to get it, but if allowed
full sway they might get drop too much for
your own comfort
And lc wroto about other matters. but
nothing moro Of his men.
After reading the letter l raised my eyes
and met the gaze Of the sergeant, who stood,
with his cap in his hand, on the opposite side
Of the small table He started when l looked
up, and thought he was ashamed Of having
been caught staring It me so fizedly. But
the flush quick = r lis face and be inclined
his mead another y
Ee was man G. N. .iium size. very heavily
built and eviici.tly very muscular In short,
be was made for a fighter, and for one of
those valuable fighters who possess stubborn
will and Goggad resolution rather than hot
and impetuous pugnacity. He was not
man TO be ever in q fernyent; but a man who,
when fairly aroused, is 20 be feared. lie
was not far from - years OF age and the
stripes upon his forearm showed that lie had
served four full terms OF enlistment previous
to tho present
"Nen. sergeant, | said, Is pleasantly as
possible, Capt. Goodwin gives such good &C
count Of You that l already feel thankful
that / an to have yorr company: and
trust you vii have no gool reason 10 com
plain of me-
He returned my look; but not a smile |
warmed the chilly gloom Of his brown face, |
nor was there even q CLEAN Of good feeling !
to break up The hard crust Of dogged reserve; !
but with an effort lla ducked his head. and /
said
III Try sir, 10 do the best can"
oamc very near showing my dislike of |
this sort Of behavior; but remembering what |
Goodwin had written, / concluded that I |
would take the fellow for what he was and !
make the best OF him. However, perhaps |
this hard crust might break under the infu-
snco Of acquaintance
"All right" said. "We can none Of us do
mora than try. We've a tramp Of several
days before us, and hope they may be pleas
ant ones"
'Certilnly,' ConIover responded
There was slight relief in the tone. and [
took hope
went ont with the sergeant and found the
SIX men on the piazza. standing at ease under
arms. They were really fine-looiing fellows.
and answered, respectively, to the names:
Smith, Adams Mealy Oesau, Van Writ and
Connolly. Smith was q Yankee; Adams was
IN Engii5hman. and had been in the queens
service rs a dragoon; Nealy and Connolly
wcro irishmcn; Oesau was Dutchman, and
Van Writ was German. Y wide range Of
nationality for SO small a squad but a fair
sample OF our standing army, nevertheless;
md, furthermore. SIX men Of one nation
coall not have been more brothoIly than
were theSe SIX. Unlike their sergeant, they
were free and pleasant, and seemed 70 le
thankful f." Tie privilege of taking the forest
tramp with me: whilo /, il turn, gave then
70 understand that | would do all co;ll -
make them comfortable The squad had
come WITH good horses, 50 the only prepare
tons lad to make fOr The start were TO get
my og'n horses ready and draw NY money.
BY estimates had been II ihe amount CT
$4,000, and this must take il gold l went
10 the bank, with tlo serge2u. and three Of
the men, and got the money, which l took
away III four small canvas bags, weighing
about forty pounds each; but at The hotel l
packed the gold III SORT O. pannier saddle a
contrivanca which l had invented myself,
AMI in which | could so pack any where from
100 t. 400 pounds of gold that ii would neither
sway nor jingle. In short, q horse could
bear in this saddle pack burden of dead
weight almost as easily as lie could bear 2
human rider. And lad . horse on PURPOSE
for the worl-one that l had used for several
years, and that understood his duty rs though
il had ell hecn reasoned ont il his mind
Bright and early or a clear, cool October
morning, We set forth from Jefferson with
three days rations IN CIR haversackz; for
Stetson was Ia miles away, and we would lie /
doing we'll - make the trip within the time
indicated | rode il advance because [
desired it, but because The others were in
clne'i 70 fall 10 the rear.
We were passing over = narrow bridge, |
Just On the outskirts of jefferson. when we
met two men and Two boys driving before
them drove Of cattle. had met ard conc
clear OF the herd without difficulty =, ard was
thinking how would Ike 20 take one CT the
fatter GUhoci-s along with me, when an ex-
claT2tioa 0f anger arrested my attention,
and. or turning il my saddle, discovered
ono OF The oxc;l-a wild, frohcsoEle thing
had attacked the sergeants horse 1t had
been quickly doae-a frisl-a leap-a luREe
of tie great curving horns al the horses side
tho rearing of the latter, and the conSe-
Guent Ilnscating of the sergeant
When Colnover had regaincd his feet the
frolcsome bullock WAS away from his reach:
but rot 80 iae innocent GroveIS. The two
men were near together, and directly by his
side Is he graSped his sword hilt and turned
upon them did rot think Connover would
harm them: but they wCro terribly fright
L.