Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-07

tell how the case would end. 1t was
from this message the orderly had Just
returned. Old Morris was greatly dis
turbed. He had proposed having a re-
view Of the entire command, cavalry
dismounted, and treating his guests to a
stirring and martial sight, bat when the
assembly sounded he had completely
changed his mind, and so informed his
wife. I'm all upset about this affair"
he said, land impatient to begin an in
vestigation."
The band was ordered back to quar-
tiers, the captains were notified to in
spect their companies on their own pa
rades, and merely exchanging his helmet
for forage cap and laying aside his saber
the colonel strobe over to the Office, pass
ing by the three cavalry troops that were
nearest him, even cutting across the
parade as though to avoid salute, and
appeared directly in front of G troop
that was drawn up in double rank and
at open order farthest to the south side.
Lieut.. Hearn, temporarily in command,
was engaged in inspecting carbines, but
at sight of the regimental Commander
discontinued his work and raised his
hand to the visor of his helmet
go on, go on, Mr.. Hearn," said the
colonel gruffiy. 81 did not mean to in
terrupt you" Nevertheless, he who had
paid no attention to the other companies
plainly halted in front of c, and was
scanning the mems faces with eyes that
were full of gloom. Next he strobe
around the right of the line and passed
down in front of the rear rank until he
reached the center, where the tallest
men were standing, and where he fixed
his gaze upon one soldier, a tall, slender.
but muscular fellow; he looked him over
from head to foot, but passed him slowly
without one word. A sergeant file closer
noted that the fingers of the soldiers left
hang twitched and closed as the colonel
approached, and that a lump seemed to
rise in the brswny throat, but was quick
ly gulped down. There was no other
symptom, though, and Lieut.. Mason.
the adjutant, who had Joined his colonel,
saw that the mans eyes never wsvered
from their look straight to the front, al
though he might have paled trife I'M
Half an hour later, inspection being
over, the colonel sat in his Office. holding
an investigation. The captain of C
troop was absent on sick leave at the
time, and the command had devolved
upon a young officer who had won a fne
record in their Arizona days, and who
was regarded throughout the regiment
and mischief maker among the men.
For a recruit who had only recently en-
listed it was surprising how much he
knew about the ins and outs of soldier
life.
Sergt. Wren openly accused him of
having been in service somewhere be
fore, and as he had no papers to show,
he must he either a deserter or bob
tall "a soldier whose discharge paper
has had the character" cut off, Welsh
angrily denied this, and his ignorance of
saber drill and certain troop details
seemed to bear him out But then"
said Wren, The might have been in the
dough boys" Welsh avoided the troop
quarters for while after this episode,
and was more civil to the sergeants, but
right after pay day he again appeared,
eager to try his luck in any game going
on. Then it transpired that, if not an
expert with saddle and saber, he was
with the cards, and the troopers lost
their money to him without exactly I'M
derstanding how. The first sergeant re-
ported these occurrences to Can't. Blau-
welt, and the old man seemed greatly
-. q. i
had been neglecting the horses while
playing his game, but he was not re-
lieved and ordered back to duty with
the troop, as had been expected. If any
thing he became more insolent in man.
ner to the sergeants than before. The
whole affair seemed unaccountable to
the other men.
One morning about n month after
Welsh's arrival at the post Lieut.. Hearn
came leaping lightly up the steps to
make an inspection of the barracks.
Corp. Quinn. seeing him approach the
quarters, had given word to the men,
and those of them who We're in shirt
ileeves jumped into their flannel blouses,
while others knocked the ashes out of
their pipes and put them away. Three
or four were seated around a little table
playing cards, and among these was the
gypsy fellow Welsh, who had been there
ever since guard mount. These men,
too, sprany to their bunks and straight
ened up some items of their kits" but
Welsh still sat at the table gruInbling at
the interruption to the game. Put up
those cards, Welsh" said a sergeant
bluntly. Here comes the lieutenant"
What do l carer was the surly an
swer. I'm not under his orders. He's
got no authority over me-"
DO as | tell you, and be quick about
it" was the reply.
DO it yourself; they amt my cards.
didn't put them there" answered the
man, with an ugly CLEAN in his black
eyes. while he drew from one pocket a
piece of channels skin and from the other
one of the captains big brass spurs.
There was no time for further remark.
Attention. came the order from the