Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-09-07
A Soldiers Secret
By Captain CHARLES KING, .. S. A.
copyright, 1892 by j. B. Lippincott company.
and published by special arrangement with
them.l

and published by special arrangement with
them.l
Ten minutes more, dozen men of tn,
"blacE troop were bracing cinch straps
buckhpg throat latches and loading
blankets on their astonished steeds. De
spite the bowling of the gale, half the
ramp was up and astir, Farquhar among
the first Brewster had his own horse
saddlGd and was astride before amy one
else was fairly dressed, and by this time
Ellis had recovered sufficiently to speak
and tell his story. The train from the
east came in on time at three, and he
was amazed 10 see Mrs. Berlien's face.
No one dreamed of her coming. for the
wires were down. The quartermaster
ran to meet her, and the sergeant him
self FASTENED to give her good news of
her husband. Nothing would answer,
though, int that she urst go to him at
once.
In vain did Major Sterrett plead with
her, saying it took five hours 10 drive
over TO the cantonment by day and he
feared the evening would he dark and
stormy. 20 she would and the quar-
termaster ordered out his own ambu-
lance and best four mule team, with his
own driver and compile Of armed out
riders. He gave the Ladies' hot tea,
loaded in lots of blankets anG robes, and
they started about half past three, We're
in the teeth of the gale ut five o'clock.
In pitch darkness and or the road at six,
and somewhere about seven The mules
became unmanageable in The blizzard.
whirlcd short around and snapped off
the pole. By this time. too, one outrider
was lost, the other was frozen half to
death and had been drinking whisky.
The driver was so stiff he could hardly
move hand or foot. and he and Ellis had
tho utmost difficulty in cutting loose
the mules. There was every prospect
Of their capsizing tho wagon, and they
had TO get the ladies ont until the beasts
were free. Then he found they were
close to Wolf creek, more than half
way, and Ellis determined 20 push on
through the cantonmcnt for help, first
replacing the ladies in the covered
wagon, wrapping them in furs and
blankets and fastening tho curtains
The hurricane increased. He and his
horse were both blinded, and at last the
poor brute stumbled, fell into ravine
and could barely struggle to his feet.
Abandoning his horse, Ellis pushed on
afoot and reached camp he knew not
how. He only remembered hearing |
that distant tattoo.
Farquhar never hcsitated. Brewster
never asked. Holden made him and |
each of his men swallowa cup of steam
ing coffee, and the colonel took it as a
matter of course that Curly was the
very man TO 60
you have brandy and blankets in
plenty" he asked. Holden is loading
more into the ambulance, and it follows
at once. Off with you now"
Impatient even of this brief detention,
Brewster led his little band of troopers
off into the night. There was not man
in the Twelfth that wouldn't have faced
worst things than a blizzard for old
Berrien's sake, and as for this il was but
a bagatelle. ''All we've got to do is send
before the gale, fellers," sung out Muir
ply, joyously, as they went cantering
ont of camp, and in a second more were
lost to sight and hearing Then came
the clatter and rattle Of the hospital
team, the ambulance, weighted down
with robes and blankets and brace of
heavy troopers. despite which ballast
the light vehicle was well nigh whirled
over by the force of the gale. And then
Farquhar and the doctor had time to
turn to Ellis and to think
They must have got my dispatch
Tuesday night and left by the earliest
train, said Holden. How utterly out
rageous a proceedingl And yet | might
have known it of Mrs Berrien."
Meantime there had been dismay at
the quartermaster's depot. Sterrett,
noting the increasing severity of the
gale at lightfall. had begun upbraiding
himself FOR having allowed the ladies to
persist in the rash attempt. He had
lone his best to persuade Mrs. Berrien
and to as iure her that the major was
doing we'll: he pointed out to her that
they had nothing but rough shelter of
og and turf and canvas at the camp;
hat there was absolutely no place
where delicately nurtured women could
be cared for He offered her and Miss
his own warm, snug, though
.udely furnished room at the station,
md ordered his chief clerk to clear out
md sleep in the Office. He told her how
impossible it was for him to leave his
)ost and his duties of forwarding sup
,lies, and explained that there was no
,fficer to properly escort them. But one
~ one she had promptly overthrown his
objections. Escort? Here was Sergeant
Ellis What better could she ask? As
or lack of accommodation at the camp.
lad she not lived all one winter with
Ter beloved Dick in Kansas dugout
ust the year after their marriage: Had
he not camped with him ON the Yellow
tones-nursed him in a deserted log hut
through the mountain fever in the Big
1orns Were there not women. school