Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-10-26

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be met him two miles out"
''The two culpritsr' said the colonel.
laughing, Poor Perry Is down In the
depths again. He rode up to me with
such woebegone look on his face at
drill this morning that could hardly
keep from laughing In front Of tho whole
line. Even the men were trying hard
not to grin, they knew he had turned
up just In the nick OF time to save him.
self an absent What do you suppose
can have happened to Gwynney"
II cannot imagine, sir. and am In
clined to be worried. lie would never
willingly overstay pass; and fear
some accident has happened"
us he good riicrg" ASKED the doctor.
"Nono letter In the regiment lie %
. model horseman, In fact, and. though
he never alludes to nor admits II, there
Is a general feeling among the men that
he has been in the English cavalry ser.
vice. OF course. there IL no doubt Of his
nationality; he Is English to the back
bone. and, ] fancy, has seen better
days."
''What made them think he had been
In the cavalry service abroady'
"Oh. his perfect knowledge Of trooper
duties and management OF horses. II
took him no time to learn the drill. and
he was sergeant before he had been
with me two years. Then. II you ever
noticed. colonel" said Capt. Stryker. APP
pealing to his chief. whenever t',vynne
stands attention he always has the fin
gers Of both hands extended and point.
ing down along the thigh. close against
it-so." Aud Stryker illustrated. Now,
you never sec an American soldier do
that; and never saw IL in any but Eng
lish trained soldiers He has quit It
somewhat Of late, because the men told
him II showed where he was drilled
we have other English 'non-coms.' YOU
know--but Tor u long time noticed that
Ia him. Then he was enlisted In New
York city, some four years ago, and nll
bis things were Of English n,ako--what
he had"
"What manner Of looking fellow Il
her asked the doctor. II think would
have noted him hnd seen him."
eyes. you Englishmen are apt to look
to one another" said the colonel in re-
ply, "and Gwynne is particularly fine
specimen. He has your eyes and hair,
doctor, but hasn't had time to grow
grizxled and bulky yet. as you and
have. Ono might say that you and the
sergeant were from tho same SHIRE"
"That would help me very little, since
was only three years old who the gov.
ernor emigrnted," answered the doctor,
with q quiet smile. I'VE keep some
traces Of the old sod. suppose, but
I've been Yankee for forty years, and
have never once set eyes on Merrie Eng
land In all that time. Did the sergeant
say where he wanted to GOT" And the
questioner looked up sharply.
Nowhere In particular--down tho
valley was all. remember, though,
that Mr.. Parl.e said he seemed much ex-
ercised over the name Of that ranch down
tho Monee-I've forgotten what they call
IT. Have you heard It, colonel?"
''Seems to me have, but I've forgot
ten. You have. doctor. have you not!"
"Heard what, colonel"
"The name of that ranch down the
Monee-an English ranch, they tell me.
about seven miles away"
"Oh, yesi-that onel They call It Dun
raven Ranch. Did the sergeant take any
Of tho hounds with him, captain2 II oc-
ours to me he might have been running
. coyote or q rabbit, and his horse have
stumbled and fallen with him. There Is
NO end Of prairie dog holes down that
way"
mo, the dogs are oil In. I wouldn't
be surprised II he had gone TO tho ranch.
That's IN English name. and they are all
Englishmen down there, hear. Very
possibly that Is the solution. They may
have tempted him to stay with English
hospitality; though it would astonish me
II he yielded. I'll tell the men to inquire
there first, colonel, and will go and send
them now" And, bowling to his COM
mander, Capt. Stryker turned and left
the porch.
The doctor rose, thrust his hands deep
In his pockets, paced slowly to the SOUTH
ern end OF the veranda, and gazed down
the distant, peaceful valley, an anxious
cloud settling on his brow. The colonel
resumed once more the newspaper he
had dropped upon the floor. After mo.
ment DR.. Quin came slowly back, stood
In front Of the entrance few seconds
looking irresclutely at the soldier
sprawled at full length In his reclining
chair, stepped towards him with pre-.
paratory clearing Of his throat as though
about to speak, and then. suddenly and
helplessly abandoning the idea, he
plunged down the short flight Of steps,
hurried out Of the gate and disappeared
around the fence corner in tho direction
Of the hospital. Immersed in his paper,
the colonel never seemed to note that he
had gone; neither did he note tho fact
that two ladies were coming down the
walk.
The soft swish Of trailing skirt being
insufficient to attract his attention as
they arrived nearly opposite the shaded
veranda. silvery peal Of laughter broke
the stiffness Of the early evening. Mrs
Belknap's laugh was dclicious--soft, me-
lodious, ripping as a canary song, and
just as spontaneous. Neither lady had
said anything at the moment that was
incentive OF merriment; but IL Mrs. Law
rence had given utterance to the quaint
est, oldest, most whimsical conceit Inn
aginable, Mrs. Belknap's laugh could not
have been more ready, and her great,
dark eyes shot a sidelong glance to note
the effect. Down went the paper, and
up. with considerable propping from his
muscular arms, came the burly form of
the post commander. Two sweet, smil.
Ing faces beamed upon him through an
aperture in the leafy screen, and Mrs
Belknap's siivery voice hailed him in
laughing salutation:
"Did We spoil your siesta, colonel?
How can l make amends? You see, you
were so hidden by the vines that no one