St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-08-13
A CRISIS.
BY THOMAS WINTHROP HALL.

1t was known all over the post within
half an hour after the occurrence. Off
GERS, soldiers, civilians, servants, troop
laundresses, even the Apaches in the
camp down the river, l fancy, knew
about it, and they all had more or less to
say about it; the general verdict being
that it was shame-that the Colonel
ought to let him off, and that he was the
finest fellow in the world, any way. 1t
was singular thing that two such popu-
lar men as Jack Lake of the dear old
-th Cavalry, and the Lieutenant Colonel
of that same regiment, Familiarity known
(behind his back as ''the old man." but
drawing his pay under the name and title
of Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Brown,
should not be able to get along together.
Both of them were adoTed by the Off
GERS and n en- Of the regiment, and shall
I say itY) by good many of the women.
The one was arollicking young lieutenant
tall, handsome, talented, and brave to
recklessness, just as cavalry lieutenant
should be. The other was ones beau
ideal of a field officer of cavalry, still a
stronr, hearty man, although he had seen
much hard service during the war and on
the plains; a man who never shirked a
duty, and what was more, never permitted
any one else to; a hard worker and a
just though severe post commander.
In a word, the kind of a man
the authorities usually sent to dangerous
posts-and such post was Apache.
1t had all come about some years be-
fore, at West Point Lake had been
a cadet at the military academy while
Colonel Brown was the commander of
cadets, and the elder man had, to use a
little West Point slang, "got the equa-
ton" of the younger man ''down fine. y
In other words he had "sized him up''
and concluded, rather rashly it must be
admitted, that Lake was utterly worth
less except for the purpose Of raising the
deuce whenever he so desired This, it
must be admitted, he could do to per
lection. 1t was not Lakes fault, how
ever, that they could not get along to-
gether. Oh, no! Lake could get along
with any one, and he could not see fol
the life him why the colonel did not en-
JOY his FRANKS just as much as he and
apparently every one else did. But the
colonel did not. and the result was that
Lake was undergoing punishment most
of the time he was cadet at the acad-
envy.
It was said that Lake was really IN
love with the colonels daughter 1t was
not improbable. Most of the cadets
were. Indeed, few who had ever met
Miss Hyacinth Brown were not in love with
her. But she was queer girl, after all.
Poor girl she had been half orphan
from her early girlhood- perhaps she
inherited some Of the obstinacy of her
father) Strange as it may seem, she
loved this same scrapegrace, Lake. 1t is
more than probable that the discovery of
this fact, coupled with what he knew of
the youngsters character Cor thought
he knew was but added fuel to the fire
1t was hard to tell, though, for the
colonel had always been hard on Lake
and remained so. He did but one thing
in regard to it. He forbade Lakes call
ing on his daughter and he insisted that
she leave him entirely alone. Well,
every one knows more or less about hui
man nature. The interference of the
father merely made the young man more
determined to make love to the daughter,
and the young lady but the more anxious
to receive that love-
The young lieutenant made matters all
the worse when he graduated and re-
ceived his commission by voluntarily
joining the calvary regiment of which
Hyacinth's father was the lieutenant
colonel. Most youngsters would have
hesitated at such step. 1t is no agree
able thing to have superior officer of
ones own regiment down on one. But
it was precisely Lakes style. If he were
to join another regiment he might as
well say goodbye to the girl and he
hadn't the slightest intention of doing
that.
1t was just Lakes lnck to be assigned
to company that was stationed at a
post commanded by the father of his
sweetheart. Good luck, he thought it.
because it kept him nearer her; bad luck
all his friends thought it, because it kept
him In the power of his unreasonable
enemy. Forbidden her fathers house
constantly under her fathers eyes-what
could he see of her, any way? Did he
ever see her, any way? Well-he was
Lake, you know
And he was put under arrest for what?
For very grave offense. Hyacinth's
father was man who would not have
gone out of his way to do Lake an in
jury. On the contrary, if Lake had not
always offered the occasion the Colonel
would have left him alone. Even the
Colonel recognized the youngsters good
qualities. There was that time in the
Geronimo campaign when he made ride
on duty, unaccompanied, of eighty miles
through hostile country in less than
twenty hours. And there was the occa-
sion when he risked his own life to save
that of wounded corporal in the fight
down in the San Samoane valley. His
general efficiency in the field, his willing
ness to perform duty no matter how hard
it was, were all in his favor But when
there was no serious duty to perform,
when it was mere matter of post duty
or company discipline, Lake and the
Colonel could never agree. He was al
ways breaking regulations and post
orders himself, and always trying to
shield men in his company from just
punishment for doing the same thing.
He was put in arrest because, with his
usual impudence, he had entered the
presence of the colonel one morning as
he marched off duty as officer of the day
and reported that he had not inspected
the preceding night between midnight
and broad daylight" Be it known that
every officer of the day is required to
perform this duty between these hours,
and if he does not he is, as they say in
the army, son honor" to report himself
for his failure to do so. So he did moth
ing more than was required Of him. But