Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-09-26

| abandoned furrow; the cattle have gone,
| to make up, presumably, for the reser-
walton shrinkage; women's songs have
| changed to sobs, chi1dren's laughter
hushed to terrified silence, as the settlers
seek the refuge of the towns. New red
| glare in the sky at night, and the new
ranch house lights the way of many
savage warrior. bound with arms and
ponies to swell the hostile ranks in the
mazes of the Bad Lands.
''God only knows how soon it may
come" read Farquhar, but week be-
fore, ''but think you would better be
with your command" FarQuhar re-
inquished his shooting trip and at once
got him home. He could not bear. to
tell his people, in the happiest garrison
the regiment had ever known, that per-
haps it might be as well to drop the
plans for the cavalry ball and the
Christmas theatricals, the cherished
projects for the coming holidays. He
hated to have any one ask him if he
thought there were not just a chance
just chance-of their being ordered
up there. But even before he left he
and Berrien had been talking the mat
ter over. The idea was to always have
the regiment ready for anything. and it
did seem as though with all the sum
mer and fall marching and scouting and
maneuvering in the field they were, rs
the Englishmen would say. pretty fit
Fit. certainly, for any amount of scout
ing or fighting on the southern plains
and yet utterly unprepared for the
rigors of Dakota winter. Any colonel
who, serving in Arizona or in the Indian
Territory, was to apply for canvas
overcoats, blanket lined. for fur caps
gloves, boots, leggings. etc.. intended
only for service in the high ATTITUDES
would have been Laughed at. if not
snubbed. Farquhar decided it best not
to let any of the women worry over
possibility. No use borrowing trouble
he said. Long years had the regiment
served in that wintry land. Fierce and
incessant had been its campaigns against
the Indians. Dire had been it's suffer
ings and losses. Only recently only
within the year-had they reached this
paradise, with it's hazy landscape It's
lovely, peaceful homes. it's kindness
and greeting yet warm in remembrance
the edge of its cheer still new and nm
worn.
And then Kenyon came back from
leave. burly major of foot who haa
been visiting at his old home in Chicago
and was reported to be wearing the will
low for girl who had but just married
q mere junior first lieutenant in the
Eleventh. their predecessors along this
line. It might be that Kenyon WAS
cross and Grabbed. The youngsters
called him ..grumbly" at first acqualnt
ance. 1t might be that he was so hipped
and unhappy himself he could not bear
to see the bliss and content on every face
about him. He and Rolfe were con
genial spirits. said the boys, for ..both OF
them got left" But Kenyon. close
mouthed as he was at times, had watched
things day or two and then had given
Farquhar pointer" He had heard
something, he said, at division head
quarters. Hence the order for turn
out everybody. field kits and Fifty
rounds"
The maddest man at mess at one-thir
ty was Mr.. Carroll Brewster-"Curly
B" his comrades called him in the years
gone by, when he had much kink to the
blond hair of his handsome head. and
not a vestige thereof to the down on his |
lip. Now, as first lieutenant Of the
BLACK Troop" with mustache all
bristle and curl, and with pate where
on the curls were cropped to regulation
lines. he was very different sort of fel
low. All the morning long he had sat
on a garrison court, where as ..swing |
member" he had not enough to do to |
keep him from brooding over his woes.
He had counted on spending the hours
from two until stables basking in the
light of those wonderful. deep. dark |
eyes Of Miss Winifred Berrien. Some |
what petted and spoiled in his earlier
years of service, Brewster had had much |
of the nonsense knocked out of him in |
the harsh experiences Of seven years in
the saddle with regiment renowned for
it's touch-and-go sort of work He had
steadied greatly in those years, part of
the process being due to his own latent
good sense, and not little thereof to
incessant striving on the range to win
high honors as sharpshooter. and to-
day there was not finer looking soldier
wearing the broad yellow stripes in the
Twelfth than this same ex-dandy Cur
~ Brewster.
There still fingered about him a Ger.
tain repute for self consciousness, if not
for actual conceit, but he had grown to
be thoroughly respected in the regi-
ment and was vastly popular with the
men. He was ever ready to umpire
their matches at baseball, coach their
shotguns to longing sportsmen in the
and he had won the lasting gratitude
a |