Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-01-04
he appreciated the mans defiant man

| - gu nave nau very Oau Iedcner,
sir. Take your hand out of that pock-
et,'
An ugly Scowl had settled on Welsh'S
downcaSt face. He had stuffed the
chamois skin in his blouse pocket, and
still stood there in slouching attitude,
with his cap on the back of his head.
Slowly, in obedience TO the order, he
| lowered his hand to the side.
Now take your cap off,"
One could have heard pin drop all
over the big room.
Forty men stood there in silence, lis
tening breathlessly to this strange and
unusual cOlloQuy. Reluctantly, yet
overawed by the steady gaze in the blue
eyes of the young officer, Welsh's hand
went up TO the cap, then tossed it angri-
! " some distance away. If he expected
rebuke on that score 1t was not forth
coming.
Now get your heels together and
stand attention"
you've got no right to order me
around like this, Lieut.. Hearn. I'm on
duty for the captain, | am-not for any
second lieutenant"
For an instant every nerve and mus
Gle in the officers athletic frame seemed
to CULVER. His blue eyes blazed with
wrath and his lips set firmly under the
blonde muStache.
There was moment of deathlike 81
lence, a gasp or TWO among the men.
Sergt. Wren'S bronZed: wcatherbeaten
face was picture of amaze and indigna-
ton. Welsh himself. as though realizing
danger, obeyed. as far as his heels and
legs were concerned, but his head hung
forward and his eyes glanced furtively
about the room is II in search of SYM
pathy; but there was not soldier TO
side with him.
Take that man under guard, were
at last the words that fell from the
Lieutenant'S lips.
A Corporal stepped quickly forward.
Come on, Welsh" he muttered in no
gentle tone, and led the Sowing
trooper from tle room.
The lieutenant calmly finished his i'll
Spection of the quarters, red spot burn
ing in each cheek rs he walked around
from bunk to bunk. Then, as he turned
away and lightly descended the stairs,
Sergt. Ross voice was heard to say
Rest" The men looked quickly about
at one another. Some of them stretched
their arms at full length and gave a long
sigh, as though to find relief from the
strain. And then little Duffy announced
his opinion:
by CAD, fellerS, if I'd been the lieu
tenant I'd have knocked the top of his
id head of"
The garrison court which tried Troop
er Welsh for inSubOrdinate conduct had
found him guilty, despite his statement
that according TO the tactics he wasn't
required TO get up and salute, he being
at work. The evidence OF the SergeantS
established the facts that he was play
ing cards when the lieutenant approach
ed, and that the spur cleaning was Il
transparent sham, introduced for the
occasion and for evident purpose. But
in view of the fact that he claim
ed To believe that as the cap
tain'S orderly, he Was not under
the lieutenant'S orders, in view Of
the fact that he had apparently been
only ten months in service, and of the
further fact that his captain gave him
an excellent character and pleaded for
clemency for the recruit, the court saw
tit to let him off easily with fine. Mr..
Mason, the adjutant. and Mr.. Hearn
were strongly of the opinion that he
ought TO be returned TO the troop at
once and taught his duties as soldier.
But the colonel was away Just then;
Mai. Kenyon, of the infantry, was tenn
porarily in command. and he would not
If..,,~k old Rlauyalf's striker
Indeed, it seemed as though the troop
commander was disposed 10 resent
Hearn'S having ordered the man to be
confined, though the young officer was
actually in command that day, the cap
tain being on sick report. 1t Is certain,
too, that Mrs. Blauvelt made some very
acrimonious criticisms of the lieuten-
ants action. and that the first story in
circulation in the garrison was
bv no means creditable TO either
his tact or tomper, Welsh
spent only two days in the guard house
this time but his language during that
brief incar eeratiOn was such as 70 intenS-
ify the feeling among the men that he
was no novice i'm garrison affairs. He
was loud in his threats against the
| lieutenant. anu lull VI 81 AAhNAN e. "
the propriety of his conduct.
Il was at work, by God and had par
ticular occupation, to use the language
of the Tactics, and you'll find IL in par
agraph 7O7, and | wasn't required to
rise and uncover. Look at it and you
will see for yourselves, he complained.
And it was Sergt. McKenna. OF the
infantry. who retOrted:
And where did you, cavalrYman,
learn the numbers of the paragraphs IN
Infantry tactics. Walsh? And while you
were abOutit why didn't you learn par
lagraph SOB as well? That's the one
that covers your case, me buck, and.
begad, ifTd been there you'd IA drop
ded that rand got on your feet ID
IQuick. or I'd "a ierked the backbone
out of yeeS. Where did You learn your
infantry tactics. | Say?'
And here Wesh could only redden
with mingled wrath and confusion.
From this time on the impression gained
ground that he was a descrter from some
foot regiment, and one who had again
enlisted in the army, but under an as
Sumed name.
Within the week after Capt BlauveitS
departure Trooper Welsh was twice
lagaln confined and brought before a gar
riSon court. He had accompanied the
captains family to the train. and carry
ing Mrs. Blauvelt's numerous bags and
baskets, into the sleeper was borne
way, apparently unavoidably. The
conductor telegraphed back that he had
safely landed him at Barclay, thriving
little town ten miles to the east, and
that he had abundant means te buy his
ticket back: but he was gone forty
eight hours, and at the expiration
of that time was dumped in dishey-
eled condition NJ the post by
the town marshal, with the in
formation that if it had not been for the
crossed sabreS on his cap he would have