The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-27

New Mex. The colonel as he sat at bis
desk in the office minus his coat.and with
his vest unbuttoned appeared lost in con-
temptation of some not very pleasant sub
Ject to judge from the expression of his
cnuntenance. Suddenly he turned his
revolving chair around, and with despair
ing sigh that sounded like the snort OF
donkey engine be vented his feelings to
the adjutant, VINO was sitting in the deep
shade Of the back part of the Office
such a puff lot Of incapabIes as that
new squad puff l never (wheeze) saw
since I'm in the army (snort). Why they
can't even wear their clothes prolonged
gasp. a soldier should take pride in his
uniform. This by the way was the Colo
nel's pet phrase).
Clankety clinkety- Clank clink- clank.
The noise became louder and sharper;
evidently some officer was letting his
saber drag on the wooden walk. Il sup
pose that's Lieutenant Smithers. | wish
you'd instruct him how to carry a saber,"
snOrted the colonel, as he rose from his
chair and walked TO the window, which
looked out on the parade ground. Then
he saw something. He breathed hard,
and his look became a fixed glare. The
adjutant, thinning the colonel had the
4
was anything the matter with the colonel
it was evidently not the apOpexy, for that
officer gasped out, Look" and TelapSed
into his fixed glare. The adjutant looked
On the wooden walk, which ran along
two sides of the Fort Dash parade
ground in front of the officers quar-
tiers, was a cayalryman. He was a
trifle below middle-heght and had dark
brown hair and a long mustache of the
same color, which be was strOking with
his right hand. His features were good
and altogether he was rather g0od-lOokng
than otherwise. His regulation private's
coat was new and fitted him like a glove
and the buttons shone like gold. Tn blue
riding trousers were like the coat in fit
and ended in pair of boots, on the heels
of which were nickel or silver spurs. The
boots themselves we're OF patent leath eT
small and made without a wrinkle in the
ankle, after the fashion in Chantilly, but
then unknown in the United States army
The forage cap was tilted somewhat to one
side, giving the wearer raksh air. The
lett hand, Incased III white glove, rested
on the hilt of the saber. holding the
weapon, which hung by the belt straps. at
an angle OF 10 or 20 degrees from the
ground. Thus as the soldier proceeded
the scabbard tip cIanked on the walk.
To the average civilian this soldier would
have seemed nothing out of the way, but
IN the eyes OF the colonel he was only a
little less remarkable than a sea-serpent
would have been, for the American SOL
der rarely wears saber save when on
duty, and ne always carries il hitched I'D
10 his belt. Even the American officer is
unacquainted with any other manner of
carrying his Saber, or he disdains it, pre-
ferring to let the weapon slap gracefully
against his thigh as he walks. Moreover
the boots Of the American cavalry private
are unique in their hideous clumsiness,
looking more like Joints of iron stove
"
made of brass and strapped over the heel
and lnStep, are anything but things of
beauty. The colonel gaZed some time at
the hgure on the walk, then he turned
toward the astOnished adjutant and his
Dent-up wrath exploded: puff - me-
sir, see him swagger. Confound him, see
him! (grunO as If be was a generalP The
adjutant ala not see him grunt, but re-
trained from saying so. The colonel
gasped and again began: Dash me. sirv'
he pulled, that private has better boots
and his clothes fit him better than any off
Ger at Fort Dash. It's insolence Duff
(~heeze), III give out an order against his
carrying his sabeT gasp"
There IS no telling how long the worthy
colonel might have continued in this strain
had not his attention been diverted by the
appearance of three members of the
Happy Family" at the further end of the
parade ground The Happy Family"
was not a collection OF animals but f0ur
In the "Menagere," as the unmarried Off
GERS quarters at Fort Dash were called.
There was Smithers, the junior subaltern.
a red-haired youth with a perpetual grin
on his expressive countenance. Z troop
SWore by him, and, IN fact. he was deserV-
eddy favorite with everybo at the post.
Besides this he was performer on that
wonderful instrument yciept the penny
whistle, and one of the troopers had
named him the Infant Prodigy" and the
CT al- 'hn
whose name was Hilyard, was second lieu
tenant OF ID troop, who called him the
"Parson," and said that he was "a good
little man." He stood feet l in his
stockings and was thin, his face being ex-
tremelY so. de always wore pair of
large spectaces and an expression Of pa
tient holiness that would have done credit
to a saint. One would suppose him to be
model Of decorum and Sedateness, in
stead OF which he had the reputation Of
being the greatest t1iTt, best dancer and
most reckless man in his class at West
Point. About Dickson, first Lieutenant of
b troop and the adjutant, who finished
this quartet, there is nothing to be said,
except that they were good specimens of
the average American officer.
The trio at the other end of the parade
ground were returning from the quarter
masters corral, where the parsOp had
been trying TO break 4 mustang, much to
the amusement of Dickson and the "prOd
lEJs Ouet Iueu TIE QOOE Oh the c0iOneiS
house opened. and a proud smile spread
over the sunburned features of the colonel.
The colonel had right to smile, toe. for
the figure that stepped through the open
door out on the porch, namely, Miss Alice
Martin, the colOnePs only daughter. was
indeed charming. She was fair, with
beautiful straw-colOred hair and dark blue
eyes, and she held her small head erect, as
behtted the daughter Of a cavalry colonel
her dress OF white lawn, trimmed with
lace and pink ribbons and big straw ha t
TO match, looked very pretty and simple
aud vet, In spite of all their simplicity
they had cost a good round sum in Paris. |
from which place Miss Alice had recently
arrived at Fort Dash. after an extended
European tour with Major and Mrs. Bur
pected to return to Fort Dash in a few
months. Miss Alice paused a moment on
the porch and then tTipped lightly down
the steps and out on the wooden walk to
the office.
Now IL will never be known whether
Bridget, the ancient Celtic fairy who pre-
sided over Major Hooper's culinary depart
ment, gave Carlo, the aforesaid Majors
Dig mastlH, too much raw meat, or
Whether 1t was the heat, but whatever the
cause, the effect undoubtedly was poor
carlo 8 temporary alteration" as the
prodigy called it. And II was fortunate
1or MISS Alice that when the big mastiff
dashed out OF Major Hoopel's garden-gate
ana down the walk, his Jaws fOaming and
his eyes DloodshOt, that the private who
had attracted the colonai's atfantion .-as