Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-04

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 in the effort to light the |
colonel's field lamp was pulled out in a |
twinkling.
"Give my compliments to Mr.. Brew /
ster and ask him 10 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
battahon's return-those of the gallant
major himself, Of Lieutenant 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 portended mischief,
and despite the lateness of the hour he
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
dashed together a comfortable litter.
Between these improvised shafts two of
the most sedate of the elderly pack
mules were hanessed fore and aft. A
bed of robes and blankets was hung
midway, and while Rolfe and Hazlett
pushed ahead. scouting every ridge and
ravine with their keen eyed sbiunishers,
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 busily 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 ravines beyond the stream, and to
rescue a little squad of scouts and troop
ers, a mere handful. who had ventured
forth with dispatches for BerTien'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 there would have
been no dear old man left TO them, as
Ellis and Scott had borne testimony, had
It not been for Brewster's daring charge
into the midst Of the red warriors. 1t
was his bullet that laid low the savage
brandisher Of the knife just as he would
have gashed the brave old majors throat
but white Wolf had counted his last
coup and, stripped of his fnery, lay
stiffening on the prairie painted corpse
awaiting funeral honors at the hands Of
his bowling comrades.
Every soldiers heart reioiced that i
was Brewster who saved the major
life, for Brewster, Of all the subalterns,
was first favorite among the rank and
file. And as Cor Ellis. though he was
too exclusive-"toom much like as though
he wanted to be an Officer" be gener-
ally popular among the men, he had al
ways commanded their respect, and his
unexpected proves ON this occasion
won their genuine admiration. What
nerve the fellow had, TO be sure, to liz
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 neyei
stir until they We're so close he simply
couldn't miss, and so ''got in his deadly
work" Brewster and Ellis were tn,
majors avengers, the two troopers VIII,
had dealt out death to the foe. and who
were therefore, from the soldier point Of
view, the men most entitled to the hon
ors Of the day.
And yet, at the very moment whel
every other man in the regiment wa
landing their names and congratulatinl
them upon their deserved laurels, on
captain, Rolfe, was practically demand
ing at the hands of his colonel that the,
should be stripped of their high estat
and sent TO the rear in arrest.
AS DIR. Holden stood there listening T.
the accusations and arguments brough
, forward by Captain Rolfe, he could no
but recall the remarks that in one form
, or other had occasionally been brough
! to his ears at Rolfe's expense. Even s
, conservative and loyal a fellow as Wal
ren, the adjutant, had once summarize
IS his character in forcible terms. Il rC
spect his ability" said he, "but dam
his egotism. Rolfe in this regiment
Z just like the one juror who said tina
they could long ago have agreed on COZ
viction but for the eleven bloomin
idiots who held ont for acquittal.
Rolfe was a man of such intensity {
opinion and purpose that once havin
made up his own mind as to what soml
body else ought TO do, he deemed it nc
only a right but a duty to instruct til
other party, no matter what that party
rank or station might be; and this W,
practically what Rolfe had been doin
TO his colonel ever since Holden al
peared upon the scene. PERSONAL
Holden had never met Rolfe before Il
arrival of the regiment at Pawnee, bl
: except a certain dogmatism Of mann,
in discussions over points in tactic
politics, law or whist, he had decided
p liked everything about him, and told Il
youngsters as much when he found tn
they did not.
amy man with half an eye can 81
that Rifle wants To mako fine very he