San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-28


carbine in hand, he came slowly and in
differently down the stairway just as
the trumpets began to sound the Assem-.
bly, of the details. Unluckily for every
body who hoped to see Welsh brought
up with round turn by the snappy
young adiutant, drilling rain had set
i'll, and UndrcsS guard mounting in over
coats was the result. Welshs forage
cap and accouterments might past mas
ter in a shower, but his full dress rig
every man knew to be wofully out of
shape. aand such was the fellows unpDp-
ularity among his comrades by this time
that audible regrets were expressed by
the men that the weather had gone
back on them"
"Step out, there!" shouted Wren sharp
~ to the dawdling soldier, as he gave
Dh1e c,1,iifnarpii to fall in.
"Get move on you, Misther Welsh"
laughed Duffy from the upper gallery.
''Or don't they ever shtep out in the ex-
cellent family down east? Sure, isn't he
a fine looking, intelligent young man
of 25?"
twenty-five? Faith, it's thirty-six
in months he'd get if was command
ing" muttered Kerrigan. GLOW are
your patriotic motives this morning, Mis-
ter American Blood with-the-Asshumed
Manner"
Sure his name is Dennis" laughed
Duffy again. "Quit your sneering, ker-
rigan. The young soldiers eyes are
blazing with pent up feelings again,
| don't yOu see?" And indeed a most ma
| lignant scowl was that which Welsh
launched aloft at his prosecutors, whose
| fun was cut short by the stern voice of
Sergt. Ross ordering silence. And in an
other moment the detail of c troop was
| dancing away in double time, with a
| parting adjuration from Duffy not to go
too fast; Its to aisy to set the blood
boiling in Welsh's veins, anyhow"
-
1t was in the uglest possible mood
that Welsh tossed up his carbine for the
inspection of the officer of the guard.
He had expected to pose as hero and
martyr. But whatever might be the
| mistaken sentiments aroused in the east
| by the efforts of paper that had ex-
hausted local well springs of scandal and
| sensation, here among those who knew
the facts, and, above all, knew him, he
had gained only ridicule and contempt.
In all the garrison, now that Goss was
gone, there was not soldier who had
ever stood his friend. In his own troop
especially, where the rank and file were
devoted to their young lieutenant, there
was wrath and indignation at his ex-
pense, and well he knew that nothing
| but discipline saved him from ducking
| in the river or hearty kicking down the
barrack stairs. Still, with Abrams to
stand by him and The Palladium to
champion his cause, he felt secure
against fate; only he had thought to be
| looked upon as liberator and leader
among the men, and they were all laugh
| ing at him. This was bitter indeed. He
almost hoped that the adjutant would
order him back, replaced by the super
numerary, for the rust he knew to be
| about the breech block Of his carbine,
and which the officer of the guard would
be sure to discover. But the young lieu
tenant contented himself with pointing
| to it with white gloved finger and pass
ing on, probably thinking it best to get
him on duty at any price.
All day long on guard the men had
| taken frequent occasion to declaim quo
tations from The Palladium, until by
evening stables they had rung the
changes on Welshs excellent family
| connections, his American blood, his
| patriotic motives in enisting, his ardor
| for the flag and his fidelity to his oath,
until he was ready to wish to heaven
| The Palladium had singled out anybody
else to be the martyr for its preconcert-
ed exposition of official tyranny in the
army, and heartily sick of the part he
| had been induced to play.
But where, meantime, was Abrams?
| The day wore by, and not once had he
come to the garrison, and Welsh. sulkily
plodding up and down his muddy post
near the stables, and knowing we'll that
every time the men looked at him or
nudged each other in the ribs they were
guying him, had earnest desire to see
his champion. and to prevent the publ
cation of other letters they had project
ed, since the only effect, locally, of the
assault upon the good name of his young
officer was to bring down the indigna-
ton of tho enlisted men upon himself.
1t only made him rage the more spite
fully against Hearn, and he longed for
an opportunity to vent his spleen.
When the devil is working in the
human breast opportunity is seldom
lacking The evening gun had thun-
dered, the last notes of the retreat"