Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-08-25

soldier again. But draw the veil II
was on such bleeding hearts and on the
men who bore the brunt Of the fiercesi
lighting Of the campaign that the lash
Of press and pulpit fell
But old Kenyon was i'll Ills element.
To the best and l1indliest of men there Il
IN being able to say Didn't | tell vou
so:' JOY that surpasses the sweets of
religious consolation. 1t was something
to hear him declaiming among the artil-
lery and infantry officers during the
days that followed the announcement of
official investigation at the expense OF
the Pawnee battalions. why, gentle
men, said he, u have never ceased to
thank God | didn't take the chance for
/ promotion that came in the reorganiza-
I ton twenty years ago. | was one of the
senior captains of infantry then. Icould
have got one of those cavalry vacancies
I just as well ~ not been a yellow major
ten years before the leaves dropped on
my shoulders ia the blue; but If bv any
chance | were ordered into the dragons
today I'd swap out or quit for good.
From the time those Blo0ds and Piegans
got their deserved thrashing at the
hands Of Tim Bakers battalion I've
known enough to steer clear Of it. You
know those facts as well as do You
know those Indians had been numbering.
robbing, burning, pillaging, for two
years. You know how all Montana
begged and implored General Sheridan
to put stop to it. There was no catch
ing them until winter, and then when
he sent those Second cavalry fellows IN
there with orders to thrash sheol out of
them, what was tile result Didn't the
papers east and west turn To and damn
him and them? Didn't they dub him
/ 'Piegan Phil from that time forthY No.
sir, no cavalry service for me. There's
only one thing harder than the knocks
that they have been getting for the last
twenty years pa the frontier, and that's
the knocks they've had to bear at home"
But toward the end of January tile Old
J post was beginning to pluck up heart
again, and to the keen delight Of Mrs.
Berrien and WiDifred their particular
major was able to drive with them.
bundled up in his furs. and lolling back
in the cushions Of Berengaria barouche.
as he termed his wife's comfortable carl
riage, with that rejoicing matron bv his
side distributing smiles and sunshine
and joyous mods of recognition wherever
she went, everybody waving hand OF hat
or handkerchief as they bowled along,
and Winifred- bonny Winifred-beam-
ing upon her father from the front seat.
Very, very sweet Miss Berrien was look
ing just now, said all who saw her; vet
there was shade Of wistfuIness i'll her
face, constant expression about those
deep, dark eyes that seemed to tell they
wero ever on watch for one who never
came. Shattered as was his saher arm,
Curly Brewster had scotfcd at the idea
Of being sent back 10 Pawnee.
Whats the use: he said. II would
be utterly alone there, while here / have
all the fellows about me. What better
care do need5'
Ia the midst Of all their trials and an
noyances, il the thick Of the whirl Of
events that followed their sharp and
sudden fight, the officers and men Of the
Twelfth found themselves more closely
drawn together even tiiaH before. Very
little was said when outsiders were by
as to the depth of feeling aroused III
their ranks by the unaccountable crit
icisn of the press. Very little had TO be
said in the official investigation of the
affair to clear them, one and all, Of the
array Of allegations lodged at their
doors. But that every man, from the
colonel down, bore away from the field
of their winters travail sense Of i'll
jury beyond the scar Of savage missile.
who could doubt, who could blame? II
did not prevent their having some quiet
fun Of their own, however. GRAY haired
Farquhar was whimsical in his svm-
pathy with Rolfe, whose scalp had been
saved by the man of all others he had
most-reyiled-Serg Ellis. Randolph
from the recesses Of the hospital tent
pol1ed no end Of gibes at Ridgeway, who
had lost his eyeglasses in the morning
fight and had been nearly run off with
by the Sioux. As for Rolfe's plight, ohe
lost all the skin from the side instead Of
the top Of bis head, laughed Gorham.
1t was pitiable enough to make the
boys forget the austerity Of his past, for
to his dying day Rolfe would carry the
marks Of his involuntary scrap with a
squaw, as Randolph termedit. 'Rolfes
scars have come to the surface, chined
in Warren, who never could get alone
with him. They all hoped that he would
90 back To Pawnce with the wounded
train, and he did. 50, TOD, did Ellis,
wearing on the arm i'll sling the new
chevrons Of a first sergeant, won, as said
his colonel i'll presenting them, together
with the heartiest recommendation for
medal Of honor | could write, for
bravery on tho field Of battle" Rolfe
turned his bandaged head away whru
Holden gave him all the story. He knew
not what to think, much less what to
say. Ellis had leaped through theswarm
Of fighting braves and with the butt Of
his carbine dashed aside the unsexed
fiend whose clutching claws were in the
captains hair, and then had fought like
tiger over the prostrate body and saved
the life Of the man who had maligned
him.
cone half second more and you were
gone, Rolfe, said Holden grayely.
Il never said he wasn't a fine soldier,
answered Rolfe family. perhaps
didn't know him Alright
"That isn't all there is to it, Rolfe."
was the doctors reply. He is more
than soldier. He is q gentleman, and
know it,"
Yet when Rolfe expressed desire to
zee and speak with Ellis later he calmly
begged the doctor to excuse him.
But just why Brewster would not go
home with the wounded the boys could
not quite understand. He would be off
duty for months. He might not swing
saber again for year. Miss Berrien
was there, all readiness, no doubt, To
thank him warmly for all he had done
to save her and her mother from the
blizzard, from the Indians, and heaven
knows what ALTO bless him for his
rescue Of papa-to beam upon him with
those wondrous dark eyes, thought poor
Ridgeway, who felt somehow that, after
Ill, his cake was all dough. And yet
Curly wouldn't 90. What was more, he
had never So much as exchanged one
word with Winifred Berrien from the