The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-23
~t1ave. me post double guards. How

'-I1ave me post double guards! How
the devil does he expect me to do that
after marching all day?"
''I,did not inquire, sir; he might have
told me twas none of my business, don't
you know And Mr.. Hayne has the in
sufferable hardihood to wink at the
battalion adjutant-a youth of two years
longer service than his own.
"WeH, Mr.. Hayne, this is no matter
for leyity," says Rayner, angrily. "What
does Capt. Hull mean to do with his own
men. if I'm to do the guard?'
"That is another point, Capt. Rayner,
which had not the requisite effrontery
to inquire Into. Now, you might ask
him, but l couldn't. don't you know"
responds Hayne, smiling amiably the
while into the wrathful face of his su-
perior. 1t serves only to make the indig-
nant captain more wrathful; and no
wonder. There has been no love lost be-
tween the two since Hayne joined the
Rifiers early the previous year. He came
in from civil life, city bred boy, fresh
from college, full of spirits, pranks, fun
of every kind; wonderfully keen hand
with the billiard cue; q knowing one at
cards and such games of chance as col
lege boys excel at; musician of no
mean pretensions, and an irrepressible
leader in all the frolics and frivolities of
his comrades. He had leaped to popu-
larity from the start. He was full of
courtesy and gentleness to women, and
became pet in social circles. Re was
frank, free, off handed with his asso-
ciates, spending lavislify. treating
with boyish ostentation on all occasions,
living quite en- grand seigneur, &for he
seemed to have a little money outside
his pay-''a windfall from a good old
duffer of an uncle as he had explained
it.
His father, a scholarly man who had
been summoned to an important under
office in the state department during the
war of the rebellion, had lived out his
honored life in Washington and died
poor, as such men must ever die. 1t was
his wish that his handsome, spirited
brave hearted boy should enter the army
and long after the sod had hardened
over the fathers peaceful grave the
young fellow donned bis first uniform
and went out to join The Riiiers.
High spirited, joyous, full of laughing
fun, he was Pet Hayne before he hat
been among them six months. But with
in the year he had made one or two enc
mics. 1t could not be said of him tina
he showed that Difference to rank ant
station which was expected of a junior
officer; and among the seniors We're sew
eral whom he speedily designated Gun
considerable old buffers" and treated
). with as little semblance of respect as
second lieutenant could exhibit and b.
permitted TO live. Rayner prophesied o
him that, as he had no balance and wa
burning his candle at both ends, he woulC
come to grief in short order. Hayne re
torted that the only balance that Rayne
! had any respect for was one at the bank
er's, and that it was notorious in Wash
ington that the captains father had mad
I most OF his money in government con
tracts, and that the captains origina
, commission in the regulars was secure
through well paid congressional intlU
lI ence. The fact that Rayner had devel
+ oped into a good officer did not wipe on
d the recollection OF these facts: and II
could have throttled Hayne for revivin
c them. 1t was ga game of give and take,
, said the youngster; and he .'behave
. himself" to those who were at all decer
G in their manner to him.
1t was thorn in Rayners flesh, there
G fore, when Hayne joined from leave {
6 absence, after experiences not ever
e officer would care to encounter in &c
. ting back to his regiment, that Cap
L Hull should have induced the general t
t detail him in place of the invalided iiel
quartermaster when the command we
: divided. Hayne would have been
S junior subaltern in Rayner's little ba
I talon but for that detail, and it annoye
d the captain more seriously than he woul
confess.
6 cit is all an outrage and blunder I
pick out a boy like that" he growls b
= tween his set teeth as Hayne cantel
blithely away. Here he's been ava
is having big time and getting head Owe
# ears in debt, hear, and the moment |
J. rejoins they put him in charge Of IL
,. wagon train us field quartermaster. Ii
l. putting premium on being young al
is cheeky = besides absenteeism, he COZ
d tinues, growing blacker every minute.
h "Well, captain, answers his adjutan
n injudiciously, 81 think you don't civ
,s Hayne credit for coming back on Il
jump the moment we were ordered on
,. 1t was no fault Of his he could not reac
US. He took chances wouldn't take.
ooh, yesi you kids all swear by Hayl
y because he's good fellow and sings
&c jolly song and plays the piano-ar
a poker. One of these days he'll swan
N you all, sure as shooting. He's in de
" now, and it'll fetch him before you kno
&C it. What he needs is to be under ca
10 tain who could discipline him littl
ID By Jove, I'd do i'll" And Rayner's tee
, emphasize the assertion.
20 The young adjutapt thinks it advisab
n to say nothing that may provoke furth
&c vehemence. All the same, he remer
10 bers Rayner's bitterness of manner, al
has abundant cause to.
" When the next morning breaks, CHI
ii and pallid, change has come in the a
i'd pect of affairs. During the earliest no
lg of the dawn the red light of ig
70 draught river boat startled the outlyil
10 pickets down stream, and the Far Wes
i'd answering the muffled hail from shol
t. responded, through the medium of
X mates stentorian tones, News that