The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1890-09-27

then and there, and the officers were dis
missed for the day with the customar,
That's all, gentlemen" They left thu
office we'll knowing thatonly in the event
of some sudden emergency would they
be called thither again or disturbed il
their daily vacations until the same houl
on the following morning. Meantime
they must be about their work-drills, il
weather permitted; stable duty, no mat
ter what the weather; garrison courts,
boards of survey, the big general court
that was perennially dispensing justice
at the post, and the long list of minor but
none the less exacting demands on the
time and attention of the subalterns and
company commanders.
The colonel was a strict, even severe.
disciplinarian, but he was cool, de-
hberate, and just. He worked" his
officers, and thereby incurred the criti-
cism of few. but held the respect of all.
He had been a splendid cavalry COM
nander in the field of all others where
his sterling qualities were sure to find
responsive appreciation in his officers
and men--on active and stirring cam
paigns against the Indians--and among
his own regiment he knew that deep in
! their hearts the til respected and be-
lieved in him. even when they growled
at garrison exactions which seemed I'M
called for. The infantry officers knew
less of him as sterling campaigner,
and were not so well pleased with his
discipline. 1t was all right for him to
trout out" every mothers son in the
cavalry at reveille, because all the cav.
airy officers had to GO to stables soon
hfterward-that was all they were fit
for-but what on earth was the use of
getting them-the infantry-out of their
warm beds before sunrise on a wintry
morning and having no end of roll calls
and such things through the day, lust
to keep them busyr" The real objection
the main objection-to the colonel's
'ystem was that it kept large number
OF officers. most of whom were educated
gentlemen, hammering all day long a.
an endless routine of trivial duties. al
lowing actually no time in which they
could read. study, or improve their
minds: but. as i'll luck would have it,
the three young gentlemen who decided
to present to the colonel this view of the
case had been devoting what spare time
they could find To lively game of poker
down at 1.-The store" and their petition
for more time 10 themselves" brought
down reply from the oracular lips of
me commander that became immortal
On the frontier and made the petitioners
nearly frantic.
For a week the trio was the butt of all
the wits at Fort Warrener. And vet the
entire commissioned force felt that they
were being kept at the grindstcne be-
cause Of ihe frivoljty of these youngsters
and they did not like it, All the same
the cavalrymen stuck up for their colonel
and the infantrymen respected him, and
the matinees were business like and
profitable. They We're rarely unpleasant
III any feature, but this particular morn
ing-two days after the arrival of Mrs.
Rayner and her sister-there had been q
scene of somewhat dramatic interest,
and tho groups of officers in breaking ND
and going away could discuss nothing
else, The colonel had requested one of
their number To remain, as he wished to
speak TO him further, and that man was
Lieut.. IIayne.
Seven years had that young gentleman
been a second lieutenant of the regiment
Of infantry, u detachment of which was
now stationed at Warrener. Only, this
very winter had promotion come to him.
and, Of all companies in the regiment, he
was gazetted to the first lieutenancy of
-apt. Rayncr's For II willie the reei-
ment when 10y itself could talk of little
eise. Mr.. llayne had spent three or four
Gears in the exile OF little 1.-TWO COM
pauy post" far up in the mountains. Ex-
cept the officers there stationed, none of
mis- comrades had seen him during that
time.
No one of them would like to admit
'hat he would care to see him. And vet,
when once in while they got to talking
among themselves about him, and the !
question was sometimes contidentially !
asked Of comrades who came down on |
leave from that isolated station, How
Is Hayne doing!" or what is Hayne
ioing:" the language in which he was
referred 10 grew by degrees far less
trucnient and confident than it had been |
when he first went thither Officers of
ptner regiments rarely spoke to the
Filters" Of MIR. Hayne. Unlike one or
two others Of their arm of the service,
this particular regiment of foot held the
affairs Of its officers az regimental prop
-rty in which outsiders had no concern.
VI they had disagrraments they were
Kept TO themselves: and even in a case
which in its day had attracted wide
spread attention the Rifers had long
since learned. to shun all talk outside.
{ was evident to other commands that