The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-10-24

figate aud he declares Fred shall have Just
See done him. III never believe it-never!
Why. we would trust him with anything we
owned"
Ill thank the Captain. / thank Mrs.
Charlton " he hroSenly replied. " It's stunned
like am He raised his hands aud pressed
them against his eyes, and then one of them
was lowered suddenly, feebly cropping for sup
port. She seized his arm aud strove to lead
him 10 a sofa You must sit down, Sergeant"
she said.
"No. ma'am. no." he protested. strengthening
himself with violent effort Now, may hear
what il is they say against my boy. ma'am2 /
want every word. Don't be afraid, ma'am. /
can bear i"
Then. with infinite sympathy and pity, she
told him. softening every detail. suggesting
an explanation for every circumstance that
pointed 60 his guilt; and all the time the old
man stood there. his eyes, filled with dumb
anguish. fixed upon her face, his hands clasped
together rs though i'm entreaty, his fingers
Switching ncrvouSy. AT every new and dam
aging detail, condone or explain il though she
would he shuddered as though smitteu with
sbarp, painful spasm; bat when it came 10 Fred's
midnight 6iSappearance-horSe, arms and all
i'm the heart OF the Indian country. stealing away
from his comrades in the shadow Of disgrace
and crime, the old man groaned aloud and
buried his face in his hands. Some time he
stood there, reeliHg, yet resisting her efforts TO
draw him 20 a seat. She plead with him hur-
riedly. impulsively, yet he seemed not TO hear.
At last with one long, shivering sigh, he sud
denly Strengthened mp and faced her. His
hands fell by his side. lie cleared his throat
and strove 20 speak:
You've been good TO me. maam-sO good,
and "--but here he choked. and for a moment
could not 20 on" and TO my boy" at last he
finished, with impulsive rush OF words. g
know bow they're sometimes tempted. know
l. al n 1.
led away BY the roughs in the troop just 10
worry me; but he never hid thing from me,
ma'am never; aud II he's in trouble now he
would tell me the whole truth. even if it broke
ms both down. III not believe il till ! see him.
ma'ami but must go-l must 60 until hnd
my bey."
Blinded with tears. Mrs Charlton could
hardly see the swRyIng, grief-bowed old sol
dier n he LEFT the house; but Nelson was wait
ing close at hand, and stepped forward and
took bis place by the Sergeant's side
I" don't know what the irouble is !" he said.
but ian going as far as the quarters with Won.
and Il there's anything on earth can co 10
help yuu do not fail 20 tell me"
That night. with weeks furlouEh and & let
ter from his post commander 90 Maj. Edwards,
nj Sidney, old Serg't Waller was
JoLTlNG EASTWARD N THE CABoOsE OF A
FREIGHT TRAIN.
II Was on Friday morning az daybreak. that
the deserfion Of Trumpeier Waller Was reported
o. Lieut.. Blunt IL was Friday night thai the
telegrams were sent 10 Laramie and that Cbarl-
tons letter left by stage. IL was Saturday
afternoon. Gst before parade. that the mail was
distributed N Fcrt Sanders, aud that very
evening. before Mai. Edwards had received and
bad time 10 read his letters from the west, the
Sergeant had started on his long and fatiguing
journey. All night long IN slsepless misery
he sat IN nf ha Fs-tsr mall
rising aud tramping unsteAdily to and fro. At
Cheyenne delay OF half an hour occurred,
and he left the train and paced restlessly up
and down the platform under the freight
sheds lie dared not go down 70 the lighted
Offices aud the crowded passenger station just
below him. IL seemed as though everyone
knew Of Fred's story by this time. He could
see the CLEAN Of forage-eap ornaments and the
CLINT Of army buttons among the people at the
depot and knew there were several officers aud
soldiers there Never before had he known
what il was 50 shrink from facing any man on
earth: b8t 10 night though he almost starved
f0r further news Of bis boy. be could not bring
Gimsclf 10 meet them and ask
Alang toward morning. az Pine Blnfs, a
herdsman got aboard. and what he had to say
was Of startling interest. Hitherto the Indian
war paFfies had kept well 10 The north Of the
Platfe but said nc lever since Friday the
Sidney road has been sWarming with them
both sides of the riyer-and they are killing
eTerytainZ white they ran lay hands on" Nv
God Z" ihoaghtNaller and Fred must be in the
very midst 0f thcmi Better 30" be added, " IL
indeed be can he guilty" The herder had evil
IDENTITY been sorely frightened by all he heard
and be WIS hurrying 10 SiGBcy 20 Join a party
OF cattlcmen who were camping there. He
had been drinking, too. and took more and
more a. the night wore on. and became maud
iln 81 his talk. IL WAS 3 O'Clock on Sunday
morning when they reached Sidney Station,
and tsfe FIRST thing old Waller saw was strong
COueard wagon with fonr-mHle team and an
army driver. Two infantry soldiers with their
rifles aad gir; with cartridEe-bclts were stand
ing close 20 hand. I've oiicers were slowing
their rifles inside the wagon, aud an Orderly
was str4ppiug the tarpaulin over the light lug
gaze IN the boot" One Of the officers the
Sergeant knew iBsianuy-an ABIDE Camp Of
the Commanding General. The other was
cider ~ ycaus, and bore on his cap the insignia
Of tie siaG The younger officer saw him
before hc could step into the office and Serg't
Waller knew it-knew, too, with the quick
Ds& Q! thought. that he had heard Of Fred's
disappearance and presumable crime. he could
have sirunk from meeting his snperioTs in the
shadow Of this bitter sorrow and disgrace
Even while he could not accept the belief that
hie boy was actually deserteT and thief, he
knew fuil well what other men must think
But Capt Cross was cavalrTman himself, and
A-- AsiD"AA ptN tf@RltG AoI gtdTb. lie GrpIpEQ
bis rile, came straight forward, and took him
by the hand.
Sergeant. I don't believe Il Of your boy:
I've known bis father too long" was all he
haia. - he pressed the veterans hand Poor
oic waller. worn with anguish long vigil aud
utter lack Of food Of any kind. was now 50
weak .hai ne could only with the utmost diff
1culty, choke back the sDbs that shook his
frame. Speak be dare not: he would have
broken down. Cross led him 20 the lunch-
room ~ tie station and made him swallow a
cup Of coffee, then gently questioned him as
70 Bhat he knew.
% We 20 at once to Red Cloud-Col Gaines
and l-an9 maybe on the road ] shall hear
EolnethiHg 0l him. Sergeant, rest assured your
son shall have FAIR play" said the ABIDE
Camp. as he WAS about % turn away
But, Cagiain-I beg pardon, sir" broke in
Waller, hliElodly. in almost the first words lie
had spoken. Where D. yonr escoTtf Surely
y0u won't take this route without one"
There Isn'ta trooper at Sidney, Sergeant
We have a compile Of iulantrymem IN the wagon
and another on mule. That's the best ,ye
can do, aud we've got no time 10 spare We
must De at BED Cloud tomorrow, aud this il
tbe shortest line"
lADIAEs MAKING TROUBLE.
But. sr. haven't you heard Y-the Sioux
are out iD force, aud al along the road botb
above and below the Platte. There's q berde,
on the iIain who told Us. lie got aboard 81
Pine BiBEs this morning.
] can hardly believe thst," answered Cross
Capt. Forrest, with the Grays j. scouting
south Oi Itla Cloud: Capt. Wallace was ordered