San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-26
An iRMY PORTIA.
By CHARLES KING, &. S. A.,
A,thor of "The Colonies Daughter, " "Ths
Desertcr," From the Ranks" Dun
raren Ranch" "I'1o Soldiers"

I'm PG,a5eIphia, and published by special arrange
ment with them
A wire netting prevented anything from
being thrown to him from the outside,
and this had been forced upward and
outward after the bars We're cut.
The sergeant of the guard was sure
that no man had touched or even spoken
70 him, except when he himself had
gaen his dinner and supper handed in.
There could have been no collision on
the part of the sentries, for the men on
No. 1 all through the day and night
were of the infantry, and warm friends
of Brent, who would have lost no chance
of putting bullet through the supposed
assailant in the event of his attempting
to escape. The blacksmith said it would
take several hours-at least five-to file
through those two bars, and the man
must have worked with the patience of
a beaver 1t was a drop of only seven
feet to the ground without, for the win
dow overlooked the uphill slope back of
the guard house; and yet, as he proba-
bly, had to come through head first, that
was quite fall. The prints of his out
spread hands were found in the dust
heap, and it looked as though he must
have lain there some moments before
stealing away.
The sentry far down by the wood
yards, No. 8, stated that just as he was
calling off and standing faced to the
east so that his voice might carry to the
guard house, he heard sudden stumble
behind him; a man tripped over a log
between him and the road, then ran like
mad down toward the old station. 1t
was too dark to recognize who it could
be. The officer of the guard had stopped
to interrogate the sentry on reaching
his post, but Mr.. Hearn had pushed
ahead, and down at the foot of the hill
had plainly heard horses hoofs and
the light rumble of wheels crossing the
bridge and going at spanking trot;
yet soldiers returning from pass, relia-
BILE men, had neither seen nor heard
horse or wagon anywhere on the flats
along which lay the road to town. An
effort had been made to trail the wheel
tracks from the bridge, but, though
place was found among the trees near
the old station where horse and buggy
had evidently stood for two or three
hours, it was impossible to determine
which way they had gone after crossing
the stream, for the farm wagons COM
ing from every by road in the morning
had totally obliterated the tracks.
Goss' escape while under charges of
such grave character was regarded as
tantamount to admission of his guilt.
Meanwhile Corp. Brent's case seemed
TO have taken turn for the better, and,
though there was still danger, there was
hope. What struck many inquirers was
the fact that the doctor seemed i'll at
ease, and invariably evaded the ques-
ton, when pressed as to the nature of
Brent's delirium. This, of course, SIM
ply served to whet public curiosity; and
the young soldier became, all uncon-
sciously, an object of greater interest
than ever. The ladies of the infantry,
who had known him by sight some time,
were certain that from the very first he
had borne all the outward appearance of
a gentleman, and in every word and
gesture had "given the world assurance
of a man" of birth and breeding. Their
sisters of the cavalry, who had but re-
Gently reached Fort Ryan, were not slow
in accepting their theories.
Such things were by no means I'M
common in the service; and wouldn't it
be delicious, now, to have a romance in
the ranks at Ryan? Only fancy, Mrs.
Burnham, Mrs. Brodie, and, above all,
Mrs. Graves, were quite ready to go to
the hospital at any time the doctor would
permit and become the nurse of the
young corporal; but the medical man
almost bluntiy declined the services of
two of these ladies, and with positive
insolence, said the third, had told her
she could much better devote her minis
trations to her own children. Just as
if l didn't know best what my children
neededr' said the offended matron.
And it was about DR.. Ingersoll that
Mrs. Graves was discoursing this very
morning on Mrs. Lanes piazza, while
her own olive branches were clambering
the fences and having battle royal
with the progeny of Mrs. Sergt. Flynn
at the other end of the garrison. And,
as luck would have it, who should come
along the gravel walk but the major
and the doctor, arm in arm, at which
sight Miss Marshall's expressive eyes,
trimming with merriment, sought the
half vexed features of Capt. Lane, who
had been fdgeting uneasily in his chair
during her ladyship's exordium. Like
many another excellent soldier, this
nractised trooDer had no weapon with