Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-06-03

D1eu TO compare noLeS curing the rest
after the second repetition, Minor
growled that this was ga 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 80 Brax never let up on
the command until the review went
off without an error of any apprecia-
BILE weight, without, IN fact, ga hitch
in the fut or an unhitch in the harse,"
as Doyle expressed it. It was high
noon when 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 colonel's
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 habiliments 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 1864. There on his desk lay
stack of mail unopened, and Mr..
Drake was already silently inditing
the summary note to the culprit War
ing. Brax wanted first to see with his
own eyes the instructions for light ar
tillery when reviewed with other
troops, vaguely hoping that there might
still be some point on which to catch
his foeman on the hip. But if there
were he did not find it. He was tao
tician enough to see that even if Cram
had formed with his leading drivers on
line with tho 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 n disguised snap
and tossed the offending tome on the
farthcst table. At that moment Brax
| could have wished the board of officers
who prepared the Light Artillery Tao
tics in the nethermost depths of the
| neighboring swamp. Then he turned
on his silent staff officer-a not unusual
| expedient.
"Why on earth, Mr.. Drake, didn't you
look up that point, instead of making
such Il break before the whole com
| mand?"
81 couldn't find anything about it in
Casey, sir, anywhere" replied the per-
turbed young man. II didn't know
where else to look"
"Well, you might have asked Mr.
| Ferry or Mr.. Pierce. The Lord knows
you waste enough time with 'em."
"You might have asked Capt. Cram,
was what Drake wanted to say, but
wisely did not. 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
81 just-won't have it!'
He had brought down the pile of let
ters as we'll as his fist, and Drake
sprang to gather them, replacing then
on the desk and dexterous1y slipping 6
paper cutter under the flap of each en-
velope as he did so. AT the very frs
note he opened Brax threw h1mse1.
back in his chair with long whistle
of mingled amazement and concern
then turned suddenly on his adjutant
What became of Mr.. Warning? HI
wasn't hurt?"
Not bit, sir, that know of. HI
drove to town with Capt. Grams team
at least was told so-and left tina
note for you there, SIR"
"He did!-left the post and left ;
note for me! Why!-" But here Brax
ton broke off short, tore open the not
and read:
| any DEAR COLONEL: l trust you VIII over
look the informality Of my going to town with
| out previously consulting you had purposed
| Of course, asking your permission, but the mis-
| hap that befell mo in the runaway Of my hors
| prevented my appearance at the review, an
| had waited for your return from the field |
| would have compelled me to break my engage
ment with our friends the Allertons. Unde
the circumstances felt sure OF your CON
plaisance.
"As hope to drive Miss Arerton down afte
| the matinee, might 1t not be good idea t
have the dress parade and the band out? The
more DESTROYS Of seeing the infantry.
"Most sincerely yours,
SIS. Z. WARING."
"Well, for consummate impudenc
this beats the Jews!'' exclaimed Bra1
''Orderly, my compliments to Capt
Cram, and say wish to see him a
once, if he's back from stables"
Now, as, has been said, Cram ha
had no time to change to undress UNI
form, but Mrs. Cram had received tn
9 orderly's message, had informed tina
d martial Mercury that the captain wa
o not yet back from stables, and that sh
s would tell him at once on his return
Well, she knew that mischief wa
brewing, and her woman's wit was a,
ready enlisted in behalf of her friend
t Hurriedly penciling a note, she sent
messenger to her liege, still busy wit
: his horses, to bid him come to her,
t only for moment, on his way to tn
i office. And when he came, heated