Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-08-18

A solitary and lpcll nigh exhausted
trooper.
Since you ask me, sir, | most dis
tinctly oppose its being referred to Major
Berrien. He is doing well, but the ex-
citement might bring on fever-and dis
aster..
1t was DR.. Holden who spokc-and
very firmly spoke-to Colonel Earquhar
four days after the little fight beyond
the Porcupine. The colonel sat with
bowed head, grave and thoughtful Be
fore him stood his surgeon, respectful
but most earnest i'll manner. Beside
him on the narrow field bed sat Rolfe,
with face of gloom-three or four letters
and a telegram III his gauntleted hand.
Already the wintry twilight was settling
down; the wind, that had been moaning
through the fiimsy shelter for the last
hour, was now whistling in gathering
wrath and tapping every loose rag Of
canvas about the crowded cantonment.
Mules and horses at the picket lines
with one accord were turning tail to the
black northwest and paving the hard
and frozen ground in nervous disquiet.
The orderly who suddenly stepped with
in the tent was followed by few whirl-
ing flakes of snow, and the first match
he struck III the effort to light the
colonels field lamp was puffed out in a
twinkling.
'.Give my compliments to Mr.. Brew
ster and ask him to step here, said the
colonel after a moments silence, and
the orderly vanished
In the camp of the Twelfth, where
Berrien was universally beloved, three
names had been on every lip since the
battalion's return-those of the gallant
major himself. Of fieutsnant Brewster
and of Sergeant Ellis. Painfully shot
and stunned and bruised though he was,
Berrien's wits had never left him. He
was positive that the rush of war parties
toward the Old road porteinied mischief,
and despite the lateness Of the hour lie
ordered the battalion to saddle at once
and march to the Porcupine. From the
abandoned lodge poles found along the
banks experienced hands had quickly
lashed together a comfortable litter
Between these improvised shafts two Of
the most sedate Of the elderly pack
mules were harnessed fore and aft. a
bed of robes and blankets was hung
midway, and while Rolfe and Hazlett
pushed ahead, scouting every ridge and
rayine with their keen eyed skirmishers,
Gorham and Thorpe followed, escorting
their beloved chief
Just as was anticipated, at nightfall
the distant fash and report of rifles
proved that the hostiles were busiIy at
work in some deviltry or other and,
launching forward at the gallop, Rolfe's
long line swooped down into the valley
in time to send the yelling circle Of
mounted warriors whirling away into.
the rayines beyond the stream, and to
rescue a little squad of scouts and troop
ers, a mere handful, who had ventured
forth with dispatches for Berrien's com
mand and were fighting for life behind
their slaughtered horses. Two were
already sorely wounded and all would
doubtless have lost their scalps but for
the veteran majors clear Judgment and
the sense of duty that triumphed over
physical pain.
''The ould mans clear grit all
through said his invariable eulogists.
the troopers But thee would have
been no dear old man left to them. as
Ellis and Scott had borne testimony, had
it not been for Brewsters daring charge
into the midst Of the red warriors. 1t
was his bullet that laid low the savage
brandisher of the knife just us he would
have gashed the brave old majors throat;
but White Wolf had counted his last
coup and, stripped of his fnery. Law
stiffening on the prairie painted corpse,
awaiting funeral honors at the hands of
his bowling comrades.
Every soldiers heart rejoiced that it
was Brewster who saved the majors
life, for Brewster, Of all the subalterns,
was first favorite among the rank and
file. And as for Ellis, though he was
too exclusiye-''toom much like as though
he wanted to be an officer'-to be gener-
ally popular among the men, he had al
ways commanded their respect, and his
unexpected prowess on this occasion
won their genuine admiration. What
nerve the fellow had to be sure, to lie
there playing possum'' just as though
he were stone dead and ripe for scalp
ing, and so tempt his assailants out from
the cover of the ravine, and then never
stir until they were SO close he simply
couldn't miss, and so 'sgot in his deadly
work" Brewster and Ellis were the
majors avengers. the two troopers who
had dealt out death to the foe, and who
We're therefore, from the soldier point of
view. the men most entitled to the hon
ors Of the day.
And yet, at the very moment when
every other man in the regiment was
lauding their names and congratulating
them upon their deserved laurels, one
captain, Rolfe, was practically demand
ing at the hands of his colonel that they
should be stripped Of their high estate
and sent to the rear in arrest.
As DR.. Holden stood there listening to
the accusations and arguments brought
forward by Captain Rolfe. he could not
but recall the remarks that in one form
or other had occasionally been brought
to. his ears at Rolfe's expense. Even SC
conservative and loyal a fellow as War.
ren, the adjutant, had once summarized
his character in forcible terms. Il re-
spect his ability, said he, "but damn
his egotisln. Rolfe IN this regiment is
just like the one juror who said that
they could long ago have agreed on con.
viction but for the eleven blooming
idiots who held out for acqnitta1'
Rolfe was man Of such intensity OF
opinion and purpose that once having
made up his own mind as TO what some
body else ought to do, he deemed it not
only right but duty to instruct the
other party, no matter what that party's
rank or station might be; and this was
fara aficall1x xxrhat Rnlfa Ind ham d1.;.,.1