The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-12-15

tone, but was instantly nonplussed by
seeing the battery wheel into line to
the right and move off in exactly the
opposite direction from what he had
expected. This was altogether too
much for his equaninity. Digging his
spurs into the tanks of the astonished
sorrel, he darted off after Cram, waving
his sword, and shouting:
Left into line wheel, captain. Left
into line wheel
In vain Mr.. Pierce undertook to ex-
plain matters Minor presumed that
the artilleryman had made an actual
blunder and was only enabled to cor
rect it by countermarch, and so rode
back to his position in front of the CEN
ter of the reforming line, convinced
that at last he had caught the battery
commander.
When Braxton, therefore, cana
down to make his criticisms and con-
ments upon the conduct of the review.
Minor was simply amazed to find that
instead of being in error Cram had
gone exactly right and as prescribed
by his drill regulations in wheeling to
the right and gaining ground to the
rear before coming up on the line. He
almost peevishly declared that he
wished the colonel, if he proposed
having combined review, would as
sumo command himself, as he didn't
care to be bothered with combination
tactics of which he had never had
previous knowledge. Being of the
same opinion. Braxton himself took
hold, and the next performance,
though somewhat erroneous in many
respects, was slight improvement on
the first, though Braxton did not give
time for the battery to complete one
movement before he would rush it in
to another. When the officers assem-
bled to compare notes during the rest
after the second repetition, Minor
growled that this was "a little better,
yet not good. which led to some one
suggesting in low tone that the major
got his positives and comparatives
worse mixed than his tactics. and in
quiring further whether it might not
be well to dub him Minor Major"
The laughter that followed this sally
naturally reached the ears of the
seniors. and so Brax never let up on
the command until the review went
off without an error of any apprecia
BILE weight, without. in fact, "a hitch
in the fut or an unhitch in the harse."
as Doyle expressed it. 1t was high
noon wAen the battalion got back to
barracks and the officers hung out
their moist clothing to dry in the sun.
1t was near one when the batterymen,
officers and all, came steaming up
from the stables, and there was the
colonel's orderly with the colonels
compliments and desires to see Capt.
Cram before the big batteryman had
time to change his dress.
Braxton's first performance on get
ting into cool habilimcnts was to
go over to his Office and hunt through
the book shelves for volume in
which he never before had felt the
faintest interest-the Light Artillery
Tactics of 1854 There on his desk Law
stack of mail unopened. and Mr..
Drake was already silently inditing
the summary note to the culprit War
ing. Brax wanted first to sec with his
own eyes the instructions for light ar
tiliery when reviewed with other
troops. vaguely hoping that there might
still be, some point on which to catch
his foernan on the hip. Bat if there
were he did not find it. lie was tao
tician enough to see that even if Cram
had formed with his leading drivers on
line with the infantry. as Braxton
thought he should have done. neither
of the two methods of forming into
battery would then have got his guns
where they belonged. Grams interpre-
tation OF the text was backed by the
custom of service. and there was no use
citicising it further. And so. after dis
contentedly hunting through the dust
covered pages awhile in hopes of STUN
bling on some codicil or rebuttal. the
colonel shut it with a disguised snap
and tossed the offending tome on the
farthest table. At that moment Brax
could have wished the board of officers
who prepared the Light Artillery Tao
ties in the nctherInost depths of the
neighborirg swamp. Then he turned
on his silent staff ofsicer-a not unusual
expedient-
why on earth. Mr.. Drake. didn't you
look up that point, instead of making
such break before the whole COM
mand?"
Il couldn't frd anything about it in
Casey. sir. anywhere" replied the per-
turbed young man. Il didn't know
where else to look"
We'll. you might have asked Mr..
Ferry or Mr. Pierce. The Lord knows
you waste enough time with EN-"
lyon might have asked Capt. Cram"
was what Drake wanted to say. but
wisely did rot. He bit the end of his
penholder instead. and bridled his
tongue and temper.
The next time | have a review with
a mounted battery. by George" said
the post commander. finally. bringing
his fist down on the table with crash,
Il just-Ton't have it,
He had brought down the pile OF let
tiers as well IS his fist. and Drake
sprang to gather them. replacing them
on the desk and dezterously slipping a
paper cutter under the flap of each en-
velope as he did so. At the very first
note he opened B-2x threw himself
back in his chair with long whistle
of mingled anazement and concern,
then turned suddenly on his adjutant-
What became of Mr.. Wariug? He
wasn't hurt?'
Not bit. sir. that know OF. He
drove to town with Capt. Grams team
rote for you there. sir"
He did.-lcft the post and left a
note for me, Why" But here Brax-
ton broke of short. tore open the note