Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-11-07

there playing posSum just as though
he We're stone dead and ripe for scalp
ing, and so tempt his assallants out from
the cover Of the ravine, and then never
stir until they were so close he simply
couldn't miss, and SO 'sgot In his deadly
work" Brewster and Ellis were the
majors aven gers, the two troopers who
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 when
every other man in the regiment WIS
landing their names and congratulatin9
them upon their deserved laurels, one
captain, Rolfe, was practically demand
ing at the hands of his colonel that they
should be stripped of their high estate
and sent to the rear in arrest.
AS DR.. Holden stood there listening to
the accusations and arguments brought
forward by Captain Rolfe, he could not
but recall the remarks that in one form
or other had occasionally been brought
to his ears at Rolfe's expense. Even SO
conservative and loyal fellow as War
rem, the adjutant, had once summarized
his character in forcible terms. IT re-
spect his ability said he, ''but damn
his egotism. Rolfe in this regiment is
just like the one juror who said that
they could long ago have agreed on con-
viction but for the eleven blooming
idiots who held out for acquittal. !"
Rolfe was man of such intensity of
opinion and purpose that once having
made up his own mind as to what some
body else ought to do, he deemed it moi
only a right but duty to instruct the
other party. no matter what that party's
rank or station might be; and this was
practically what Rolfe had been doing
to his colonel ever since Holden APP
peared upon the scene. Personally
Holden had never met Rolfe before the
arrival of the regiment at Pawnee, but
except a certain dogmatism of manner
in discussions over points in tactics.
politics, law or whist, he had decidedly
liked everything about him, and told the
youngsters as much when he found that
they did not.
.'Any man with half an eye can Sc.
that Rolfe wants to make the very best
kind of an impression on DR.. and Mrs.
Holden said Randolph. ..They are
Miss Guthries nearest friends and rela-
tives-at least the nearest whom he
knows" But Holden also liked Brews
ter, liked him well, and could not be
ieve all that Rolfe was so strenuouslf
urging upon the colonel, first, that Ellis
was a thief and an outcast, and second
that Brewster had known it all along ana
concealed it. The more positively and
unfiinchingly Rolfe asserted himself the
more did Holden resent it.
Finally Rolfe had burst out with:
s'Well, Colonel Farquhar, I'm acting
in this manner for the honor of the regi-
ment to which I've been attached
through thick and thin for nearly quar-
ter of century. heard you were just
sending forward a report highly COM
mending these two men, and [ believed
it my duty 10 inform you of their char
acter. AS you seem reluctant to accept
my statements, / request as a matter of
justice to me that you refer my report to
Major Berrien at once, and he will cor
roborate my opinion"
Then and rot till then did Farquha1
firmly and almost sternly call his sub
ordinate to order, and when Rolfe had
been reduced to enforced silence the col
Onel turned to Holden, and Holden had
given prompt voice to his utter objec
ton to their disturbing the wounded
major with any such matter. ssBut
will send for Mr. Brewster, Captain
ROlfe, and question him in your pres
ence," said Farquhar. And Brewster,
who had just been enjoying a hearty
handshake and pleasant words with sew
eral officers of the Eleventh who, despite
the rising gale, had ridden over to con-
graduate him, went blithely and briskly
to answer the colonel's summons. War
rem had given him 1.-The tip as to the
letter being prepared for Farquhar's sig
nature. 1t was a joy to know that his
name was to be sent forward with the
praise of his soldierly and honored chief.
1t was almost rapture to conjecture what
Winifred Berrien would think of him
when she heard that his vigilance and
dash had saved her fathers life.
He looked therefore the very picture
of stalwart, soldierly, brave eyed man
hood as he stepped quickly into the col
oneTs tent and stood erect before the ST
lent trio there assembled. He came with
a heart beating high with anticipation
but one glance at Rolfe's somber and
half averted face, the first words in f ar
quhars grave, though courteous tones,
banished all pleasurable thought and
put him on his guard.
ssMr. Brewster, if I remember Alright.
it was you who presented Sergeant Ellis
for enlistment when we were in the
Hills Am / right"
Eyes, sir"
s'You knew him before his joining us,
did you not?"