Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-27

being stranded after the war, had bull whacked" again through New Mexico, had drifted again across the Mimbres and down to the old Spanish Mexican town of Tucson: had tried prospecting, mail riding. blackboard driving, gam bling; hadlbeen one of the sheriff. posse that cleaned out Sonora Bills little band of thugs and cutthroats and had expressed entire willingness to ofiiciate as that lively outlGw's executioner in casc of his capture.
 He had twice been robbed while driv- ing the stage across the divide and had been left for dead Tn the Maricopa range, m episode which he said wGs the primal cause of his dissipations later. Finally, after summary dis charge he had come to the adjutant at Camp Lowell, presented two or three certificates of good character and brav- cry in the field from officers who bore famous names in the southern army. and the regimental recruiting officer thought he could put up with an occa- sional drunk in a man who promised to make as good a trooper under the stars and stripes as he had made under the stars and bars, And so he was enlisted, and to the surprise of everybody hadn't taken drop since.
 Now this, said the rank and file, was proof positive of something radically wrong, either in his disposition or his record. It was entirely comprehensible and fully in accordance with human nature and the merits of tho case that a man should quit drinking when he quit the army, but that n man with tho blot of an occasional spree on his escutcheon should enlist for any other cause than sheer desperation and should then be- come q teetotaler was nothing short of prima facio evidence of moral deprav- ity.
 There's something behind it all, fel- lers, ' said Corporal Murphy, "and 1 mean to keep an eyo on him from this out. If he don't dhrink next payday, look out for him. He's n professional gambler laying for your hard earned | greenbacEs.
 And so while tho seniors among the sergeants were becoming gradually the associates, if not the intimates, of this fine looking trooper, the mass of the regiment, or rather the little detach- ment thereof stationed at Lowell, looked upon Bland with the eye of suspicion. There was one sergeant who repudiated him entirely, and who openly professed his disbelief in Bland's account of himself, and that was Feeny. He may have testimonials from all Texas, 7" said he hotly, but I've no use for that sort of credentials. Who can vouch | for his goings and comings hereabouts before he joined us? think Murphy's right, and if l was stationed at Lowell and belonged to his troop you bet I'd watch him close"
 Now, in all the command it would have been hard matter to find sol dier in whose favor appearances were so unanimously allied. Tall. erect. sinewy and active, he rode or walked with an easy grace that none could fail to mark. His features were fine and clear cut; his eyes dark hazel, with heavy curling flashes and bushy low arched brows; his complexion, naturally dark, was bronzed by sun and sand storm to hue almost Mexican. He shaved clean all but the heavy mus tache that dropped over his firm lips and the sprinkling of gray about the brows, temples and mustachc was most becoming to his peculiar style. | Ono prominent mark had he which the descriptive book of his company referred to simply as ''saber scar on right jaw" but it deserved mention more extended, for the whitish streak ran like groove from just below the ear tip to the angle of the square, reso- lute chin. It looked as though in some desperate fray a mad sweep had been made with vengaful blade straight for l Inc 1,r hot had laid open the jaw for full four inches.
 But" said Feeny, "what could he have been doing, and in what position could he have been, sitting or standing, to get saLcr stroke like that? Where was his guard? A bowie knife, now'- and there the suggestion ended.
 But it was the scared side of Bland s soldierly face that young Lieutenant Drummond was so closely studying as they rode out into the starlit Arizona night. He, too, had heard the camp chat about this apparently frank, open hearted trooper. and had found himself more than once speculating a3 to his real past, not tho past of his imagina- tion or of his easy offhand description. By this time, ill perfect silence save foI the occasional clink of cantecn, the gurgle of imprisoned water. or, once il a while, tho click of ironshod hoof, the troop was marching i'll shadowy col. umn of twos we'll out beyond the falda and over tho almost dead level of the plain. Far ahead the beacon still blazed brightly and beckoncd them on. It was time for prccaution.
 Sergeant, said Drummond, "sen6 a corporal and four men forward. Let them spread out across tho front and keep 300 or 400 yards ahead of us Better take those with the freshest horses, as I want them to scout thor oughly and to be on the alert for tht faintest sound. Any of our men whC know this valley welle"
 None better than Bland here, sir, , was the half hesitant reply.
 We'll, need Bland just now Put some of the old hands and older
 ---- ----.--. heads on. and don't let anything escape their notice.'
 Beg pardon, lieutenant. but what i to be tho line of direction? When wC started it was understood that we were to take the shortest cut for Ceralvo's and now we're heading for the Pi- cacho.
 No, VIC mako for the pass first that's the quickest way to reach the signal station, then we learn where tt strike for the Indians. Did you eve hear of their being as far west as tn, Maricopa range before:"
 Never, sir, in the whole time we'v, been here, and since the heutenan l joined they've never been heard O crossing tho Santa Maria valley" . What on earth could tempt then r out so far? There's nothing to b gained and every chance of being GU of by troops from Grant and Bowie