Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-05

you. Only-I have no roof to call nv
| own anywhere, and as soon as Puss is
married shall not have a relative or
friend on earth who is not much more
deeply interested in somebody else. :"
And the senior lieutenant is lying on
his back now, blinking up at the rapid
ly scudding clouds. Presently he pulls
the broad brim of his campaign hat
down over his eyes. What do Won
hear from Your mother, Winc?''a
Nothing new. Bless the dear old
lady! You should have seen her hap
piness in Harvey She could hardly
bear to let the little fellow out Of her
arms, and how she cried and clung to
him when We parted at the Oakland
wharfi Poor little mother! She has
never given up the hope of seeing that
scapegrace of an uncle of mine again. ="
HAS she ever heard how he tried to
murder his nerhew?" queries Drum
mond grimly.
Never. Nor have we the faintest
trace of him since tho break ND of the
old Morales gang ut Fronteras. They
went all to pieces after their encounter
with you and q troop. What chain
of disasters! Lost their leaders and
three of their best men, lost their rem
devious at Mo-eno's, lost horses and
mules-for what our men didn't get
the Apaches did-and won absolutely
nothing except the 81 hour possession
OF safo they hadn't time to open.
| Whereas got my commission and nv
wife; Feeny, honorable wounds and
mention and tho chevrons of first SER
geant; Costigan got his sergeant's
stripes and tho medal of honor, Murphy
his sergcantcy, Walsh and Latham med
ais and corporalships, and the only fell
| low who didn't get a blessed thing but
scars was tho commanding lieutenant
| your worthy self-thanks to wiseacres
mt Washington who say Indian fighting
isn't war;
| Didn't l get letter of thanks from
tho department commander.'' srins
Drummond. What else could OK
pcct?'
What clse:" is Wings impulsiye
rejoinder. Then, as though mindful
| OF some adnonltion, Quietlng at once
and speaking i'll tone less suggestive,
We'll. in your case suppose You can
| be content with nothing, but bless me
II could" Then, suddenly rising and
respectfully touching his weather beat
Ell hat, he salutes q stoutly built, SOL
dierly looking man III rough scouting
dress, whose only badge of rank is the
furnished shoulder strap with the sill
yer leaf On the shabbiest old fatigue
coat to be found in tho battalion, most
| of whose members, however, wear no
| coat at all.
| "Hullo, Wing-didn't mean to dis
turb your siesta-DruInmond here?"
| says the commander in his offhand
| way, and at sound of the well known
voice Drummond, too, is on his feet in
a twinkling.
Seen tho papers that came in to-
day. queries the colonel, obliterating
| from his sentences all verbal superflui-
| ties.
! Not Vet, sir; any news?''
| HI to pay in Chicago, so far rs
! heard from. The railway strike has
| taken firm hold there. Police and mi
litia both seem unable to do anything
| against the mob. and the authorities
| are stalnpeded. Your home, isn't it ~
1T was once, sir, but that was many
o long year ago."
| "W-e-ell. says the colonel reflect
lively, strokiny his grizzled beard, it IS
| my belief there is worse to come. 1t
| isn't the striking railway hands that
| will do the mischief, but every time
| there's strike all the thieves and
thugs and blackguards in the commu-
nifty turn cut. That 5 what happened
in Pittsburg-that' whats the matter
| in Chicago. 1t looks to mo as though
the plea for regular troops would have
| to be granted.
Think we can get there, sir!" asks
Wing eagerly.
Cant say. We're supposed to have
our hands full covering this section of
| Nebraska, though haven't heard of
hostile Sioux this summer. Besides,
they have full regiments of infantry at
Omaha and along the lakes. Doesn't
Mrs. Wing say anything about the
| trouble?"
Her letter is four days old, sir, and
| only says her father looks upon the sit
uation rs one of much gravity, but
women rarely see troubles of this kind
until they come to their DOORS"
well, this is The Times of two days
ago. 1t reached Sidney at breakfast
time this morning, and Hatton brought
two or three copies out when he came
with the mail. thought you two might
be interested" And with that the
colonel goes strolling along down the
bank of the stream, pausing here and
there to chat with some officers or give
some order relative to the grazing Of
the horseshoe of his especial "fads."
And this evening. Just as the sun dis
| appears over the low bluff lying to the
west and the horses are being picketed
for the night, while from score of cook
fires the appetizing SAVIOR of antelope
steak and the aroma of "soldier coffee"
rise upon the air, little dust cloud
sweeps ont from the ravine into which
disappears the Sidney road and comes
1 a oirin