The Portland daily press., 1894-12-01
A FALSE MASCOT.

young man of particularly extraVagant
habits, but second lieutenant, be ne
married or single, is always more or less
in debt lie is expected and forced by an
unwritten law to make quite as good
showing as his colonel and to keep up
quite as much of an appearance.
The dinner was a little unique. All the
officers were to leave at l o'clock that
morning on scout. They were in their
field clothes, at Kings request, and had
already the rough, unshaven look OF men
able and willing to do or dare anything.
In the hall of Kings bachelor quarters
their felt scouting hats hung on the rack.
On the porches of their own houses their
mess kits, ready packed, stood waiting to
be strapped upon the mules Their cloth
ing and bedding, wrapped in shelter tents
and ponchos, were beside the chests.
Here in the dining promulgated by
lamp which King had admired while on
leave and had gone asmonth into debt to
buy, and another which, in fit of econ
omy, he had obtained from the quarter
master, and which hung in uncompromis-
ing ugliness over the table-sat a company
of 1s-women in evening gowns, strange
ly beautiful and modish in contrast to
their surroundings, and men in uniforms
very shiny at the seams, blue flannel
shirts and top boots. They were cavalry
men and belonged to Kings regiment.
Their gayety was not that Of prisoners
just before execution, although there was
the chance that any one, or possibly all of
them, might never come back alive, but
when one has become used to going off ev-
cry spring and sometimes every autumn
to chase-how often in vain!-the willy
red man one ceases to consider the posi-
bilities of the outcome, and besides it is
not often that officers are killed in Indian
fights There is frequently pretty ami
mated exchange of bullets, but the death
list is not heavy.
Howbeit, there are exceptions to the rule.
So these men, each one under a possible
sentence of death, and these women, each
one perchance to say goodby forever to the
man at her side, talked and laughed in
utter carelessness, finding only an added
zest in the rough clothing of the men and
little deeper interest in the plans they
were laying for their camps and their. dis
cussions of the contents of the mess chests.
The dinner did not go off without
hitch. That was hardly to be expected in
this faroff part Of the world, hundred
or more miles from the nearest railroad,
dependent on commissary department
and a suffers for it's supplies, but nothing
mattered, and nothing was noticed.
After a time they all rose and went out
on the porch, where the men smoked their
cigars They had not staid at the table
and sent the women into the parlor this
time. They were army officers and pre-
ferred their feminine friends to their to-
bacco, and each one was glad to ignore a
custom which made it the proper thing to
deprive himselfof the women for even so
short time They, were glad of the ex-
ouse which the coming parting gave them
of making the mostIof the few remaining
hours a@h
The night was duily dark. The outlines
of the foothills and the mountains beyond
them could not be seen, but flicker of
light in the distance from some Indian
signal fires told where they were. Coy
otes were bowling up by the graveyard
there was sound of preparation in the
barracks and occasionally the neigh of a
horse at the stables.
The sergeant of the guard called out,
"Ten o'clock" and the officers made a
movement to get their hats There was
still much to be done before the night
march commenced. King sat on the rail
ing of the porch talking to woman who
leaned against post He could not see
her, but knew that her beautiful face was
there close to his
That was enough. He was asking for
promise before he should start off into the
heavy darkness across the plains, but the
woman had no wish to promise. She en-
joyed Kings uncertainty far too much. 1t
would have been commonplace to be en-
gaged-she had discovered that on pre-
vious occasions-but to have him for
sutton would not be SO bad. He was hand
some, manly, brave and her abJect slave
Besides, if she were to bind herself, she
felt that this time, with this man, she
would have to keep her word.
She laughed slowly as he continued to
beg the promise. "I'l tell you what I'll
do. Twill give you the next best thing to
me-a picture of myself. I am always
mascot. Ny picture will be more OF one
will give it to you when you start. VI
course we'll all be there to see you OF.
Now, remember she went on, wax
ing eloquent as the charm of her idea
grew upon her and speaking with convlc-
ton remember that wherever you may
go, i'll whatever peril you may be, who
ever shall threaten or warn you, you need
have no fear II l were there III person,
would be exempt from danger, SO my PIC
ture-my other me-will also be, and II
it is with you no harm can come near
And King had to be content. There
was no time to say more, for the men
were leaving and orderlies passing back-
ward and forward.
Through the sightless darkness hlng
walked home with the girl and caught no
glimpse of the face he kissed so tenderly
at parting. Out of the blackness hand
he could not see rested in his; up from the
gulf of the night two lips were raised to
his. Then he turned and walked pacK TO
his quarters, lit cigar and gave MS
striker orders concerning the dlsposai OIL
his scouting outfit.
In the silence of midnight the troops
RODE away. The tramp of their horses'
the muitied clanking Of their accouter-
menus, could be heard but not 1nlng
seen save az the burning points of light from rom
tne omcers' cigarettes The slgnai hres
OF the Indians flashed and went OUT on
the mountains. There were no bugie calls,
40 SSaa orders even, for the enemy nao ''S