Evening journal., 1892-08-08

lighting OF the campaign That the lash
Of press and pulpit fell
But old Kenyon was in his element.
To the best and kindliest of men there is
in being able to say Didn't | tell you
sol" 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, Il have never ceased to
thank God / didn't take the chance for
promotion that came in the reorganiza-
ton twenty years ago. l was one of the
senior captains Of infantry then. Icould
have got one Of those cavalry vacancies
just as well as not-been q yellow major
ten years before the leaves dropped on
my shoulders in the blue; but if by any
chance / were ordered into the dragons
today I'd swap out or quit for good.
From the time those Bloods 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 up
! there with orders to thrash sheol out Of
them, what was the result? Didn't the
! papers east and west turn to and damn
him and them? Didn't they dub him
| 'Pisgan Phil from that time forthg 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 on the frontier, and that's
the knocks they've had to bear at home"
But toward the end of January the old
post was beginning to pluck up heart
again, and to the keen delight of Mrs.
Berrien and Winifred their particular
major was able to drive with them,
bundled up in his furs, and lolling back
in the cushions of Berengaria's barouche,
as he termed his wifes comfortable car
Tiage, with that rejoicing matron by his
side distributing smiles and sunshine
and joyous mods Of recognition wherever
she went, everybody waving hand or 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 a shade Of usefulness in her
face, q constant expression about those
deep, dark eyes that seemed to tell they
were ever on watch for one who never
came. Shattered as was his saber arm,
I Curly Brewster had scoffed at the idea
Of being sent back to Pawnee.
whats the useg' he said. 81 would
be utterly alone there, while here have
all the fellows about me. What better
care do needy"
In the midst Of all their trials and an.
noyances, in 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 than before. Very
little was said when outsiders were by
as to the depth of feeling aroused in
their ranks by the unaccountable crit
icism 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 theil
doors. But that every man, from the
colonel down, bore away from the field
Of their winters travail a sense Of in
jury beyond the scar of savage missile
who could doubt, who could blame? 4
did not prevent their having some quie
fun Of their own, however. Gray haired
Farquhar was whimsical in his sym
pathy with Rolfe, whose scalp had beer
saved by the man of all others he hat
most reviled-Sergeant Ellis. Randolph
from the recesses of the hospital ten
poked no end Of gibes at Ridgeway, VII,
had lost his eyeglasses in the morning
fight and had been nearly run off Will
by the Sioux. AS for Rolfe's plight, I'll,
lost all the skin from the side instead o
the top Of his head, laughed Gorham.
1t was pitiable enough to make tn
boys forget the austerity Of his past, fo
to his dying day Rolfe would carry tn
marks Of his involuntary "scrap with
squaw," as Randolph termed it. "Rolfe'
scars have come to the surface" chime,
IN w dlTeui WHO never cOulu geB alOQ'
with him. They all hoped that he woul,
go back to Pawnee with the wounde,
train, and he did. So, too, did Ellis
wearing on the arm in a Sing the new
chevrons Of q first sergeant, won, as sal,
his colonel in presenting them, "togethe
with the heartiest recommendation 70
medal Of honor | could write, 70
bravery on tho field of battle" Rolf
turned his bandaged head away whei
Holden gave him all the story. He knew
not what to think, much less what {
say Ellis had leaped through the swarm
of fighting braves and with the butt 0
} his carbine dashed aside the unsexe
fiend whose clutching claws were in III
, captains hair, and then had fought lilS
a tiger over the PROSTATE body and save
the life of the man who had maligne
him.
zone half second more and you wer
gone, Rolfe," said Holden gravely.
Il never said he wasn't a fine soldier,
answered Rolfe family. perhaps
didn't know him Alright"