The Red Cloud chief., 1889-08-02

or ascertaihing the real state OF the
case. he unceremoniOusly lifted a por-
tion OF the fattened hair with his fore
finger, thereby disclosing q substra.um
Of tiny curls. Then. turning to the
adjutant who accompanied him. he
briefly consigned the offender for four
days to the sale de police" and con-
tinued his round Of inspection with .
self-satisfed grin.
During the last day Of his seclusion
CASTOR practically employed his leisure
in decorating his knee. by . judicious
mixture Of blue and green paint. with
q tolerably exact imitation Of q bruise.
which he showed to the regimental
doctor. pretending that the confusion
had been caused by his coming in con-
tact with a post in the riding-school.
Whether he implicitly believed the
statement or not, the g~oOd-natured
medico put him on the sick list. and
thus twenty-fours were gained. His re-
appearance on parade. however. became
at length a matter of necessity. and
this time his continued disObedience
entailed on him q weeks further con-
fnement: at the expiration of which he
was again consigned 70 durance vile
for an entire fortnight
This will neyer do" thought &c
Langeais. The earthenware pot
must in the long run be smashed by the
iron one, and l shall have to give in at
last. had better try old Grison nee
more"
Whereupon. having previously, by
way OF precaution. added a few touches
to the pictorial establishment OF his
knee. he limped into the consulting
room of DR.. Grison, who was for
tunately too much engaged with other
patients to bestow more than > cursOry
glance at the bruise, and. not knowing
precisely what to make Of the case,
gave the newcomer IN order Of admis-
sion to the inirmary. then under the
charge of half q dozen Sisters Of
Charity. presided over by . Lady
Superior.
CASTOR had hardly changed his Or
binary attire for the regulation loose
gray coat and cotton night-cap when
| Pirrot. the tonsor of the establishment
was announced, bearing an enormous
pair of scissors and q laconic note,
which a as follows:
The pupil de Langeais 5 hair is 20 be cut on
Immediately. BoCcHARD."
The poor coifeur. unwilling to lose
so excellent a customer for pOmades
and other capillary unguents. and We;
compelled to obey the imperative man
date. was in despair.
Would it not be possible. mon
sieur." he suggested. to obtain from
the Lady Superior a certificate that the
effect Of the operation might be injuri-
Gus to an invalid9"
CASTOR could not help smiling Il the
idea. Il don't quite see." he said.
what q cropped head has to do with a
bruise on the knee; but there can be
NJ harm in trying"
As good luck would have it, Sister
Angeliaue. in whose memory. perhaps.
still fingered the fondly cherished rec
objection OF some romantic episode of
her youthful days. listened with inter-
est to the handsome Breton, while he
related to her his hopes and fears. and
his attachment to his cousin Louise.
Being naturally kind-hearted and SYM
thetic. she agreed without much per
e,,.e,.~ 90 his ~o%Ha- -
quest. so that Pere Pitrot. relieved
from his disagreeable responsibility,
went on his way rejoicing.
A quarter of an hour later the lieu
tenant burst into the infirmary in q
paroxysm of fury.
so. youngster". he cried. lit seems
you are bent on Drawing me. Well.
We shall see. You can not stay sham
ming here forever; and mark my
words-when you do come out, I'll
have hat head of yours as smooth as a
billiard BALI"
With this parting threat he bounced
out of the room; and next day every
one of the future cavalry oficers-the
prisoner alone excepted-underwent
the summary operation of cropping"
at the hands of the tOnsor, Pitrot.
Meanwhile, Gaston's position was by
no means an enviable one. Through
the grated windows of the infirmary he
could see his comrades mounting their
horses in the courtyard, and c~aracoling
gayly as they passed. and on Sundays
most painful trial of all-could hear
with a pang of envy the joyous shouts
OF his more fortunate colleagues. eman-
cipated for a few hours from duty.
and on their way to catch the first
train TO Paris.
The day ofdeliverance, however. was
at hand. Early Oh the 18th of July
a date never to be forgotten by de
Langeais-the occupants of the in
Urinary were suddenly startled by a
tremendous uproar Immediately under
their windows. and. OF looking out.
imagined for a moment that pande-
monium Lad broken loose.
Such a spectacle had assuredly never
been witnessed at St. Cyr. The entire
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