The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-09-29

at the slouch-hatted, rough-s]lirtea, I'M
shaven' officers at the ragged mob of
the rank and file, at their gaunt skele-
tons of horses, and Earveled that his
strange fortunes had made him a sol
dier in SO strange a service.
Wisely he kept his views to himself,
making no comment even to the Ger
mans, who were disposed to be So
cable and to question him as to his an
tecedents. In two days strong col
umn marched away-an broken-down
men and horses and all raw recruits
being left behind-bat with Schramm,
evidently an educated cavalryman, rid
ing buoyantly in the ranks Of D troop
on the spirited roam he had bestridden
all the way from the railway. "What-
ever they look" thought he, these
fellows are nightly at home On the
frontier" sergt. Schultz explained
that they always left their uniforms in
(! garrison when in the field after In
dams, but called his attention to the
fact that they never lived better in the
old country than these rough-lool1ing
fellows were living now. Already the
ills of the summer were forgotten.
Whether he forgot or not, Schramm
made no reply. He was well content
with his rations, for field appetite is a
| wondrous sauce, and soldier coffee,
with bacon, beans, "Dptch oven"
in the keen October air known only to
the frontiersman. Schran1n, from
looking pale, peaked, and a trifie pa
thetic when he stepped from the crowd
ed train at the railway, had sprouted
fuzzy beard, blistered the skin of his
cheeks and nose in the hot monday
sunshine, scared his eyelids by in
temperate additions in alkali water,
and was making co1nmendable prog
ress in plainscraft and plains-Eng lish.
In three weeks scouting down the
South Cheyenne, with the Bad Lands
F; on the right and worse lands on the
left. he became SO proficient in the cav
(! airy art of pre-empting good patch OF
| grass for his horse that his troop COM
mander, closely watching his new re-
cruit remarked that that young fellow
| would be valuable non-commissioned
officer some day, if he hadn't been al
ready. Like the Germans of his het-
erogeneous troop, the captain was of the
opinion that Schramm had history.
One evening, far down the valley
where not an Indian had been seen or
heard of, the outlying sentries report
ed bunch of black-tailed deer in the
foothills to the northwest. Lieut.. Nor
gan was in command of the guard, and
his captain was officer of the day. Nor
gan took squad of three or four men,
mounted and rode away down the
wind, while a party of officers scram-
bled up the bank to the edge of the
broad prairie to watch the sport. It
was just then that Schramm, his blue
eyes ablaze, clicked his heels together,
stood bolt upright, and began, color
! ing even redder in combined eagerness
and embarrassment, "Bitte, Herr Ritz
meister,'' then, desperately plunging
into troopers English as he had heard
it spoken: ':Kin go along NIT dem fell
lers alretty?" and as Manning nodded
assent, he saluted with marked precis-
ion, bored hole with his heel in the
alkali dust in punctilious execution
of the ''kehrt," sprang bareback on his
horse and rode away, carbine in hand,
after his trooper comrades Half an
hour went by, and the herd, still un-
disturbed, continued to Craze. The
hunters were out Of sight among the
| depressions Of the surface. The cap
tain sent for his field glass, and other
officers joined him and levelled their
binoculars on the distant quarry-just
a deer family having a quiet dinner to-
gether in sheltered ravine opening
out into the broad bottom of the
stream. Presently, one after another,
threeuor four black objects crawled
around a point. Wonders Morgan"
said the watchers. Suddenly the deer
family tossed high their heads, then
darted away into the hills and were
out of sight. IN an instant Two or
three of the younger officers set up
laugh of derision: "Pretty hunting,
that is!'' But the elders looked grave.
| "What scared them?" was this query.
The black dots of hunters had halted,
evidently in surprise. There seemed
to be a moment of consultation, and
then ali three could be seen running
back in the direction in which they
came.
''Going for the horses to chase the
deer" laughed young Leonard, who
sneered at Morgan's claims as deer
stalker.
''Chase be hanged! Look there! tho
deer are chasing them"
! Then up rose every man in mad ex-
citemeht, for their senior lieutenant,
Mr.. Ray, had sprung to his feet and
| rushed for his horse. ''Deer, you
| damned fool! It's Indiansr' he cried;
and, shouting for some Of the guard to
follow him, Mr. Ray threw himself
| upon his nimble sorrel and darted out
! over the prairie to the rescue. In q
| minute half dozen men were string
ing along after him, while the alarm
sounded among the cotton-woods and
the herd-guards came driving In their
excited cavalladas.
Meantime, there was the mischief to
pay. Leaving two men as horse-hold-
ers in little swale, Morgan with three
Others. Including the eager young
| D,.,,ee:o,, oro.r,1 al <ff fo,, a shot 81 &1,o