Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-09-29
CHAPTER XVI.

4NL
Col. Sanford's head dropped on his
4 breast and he sat for several minutes
In deep reflection. Occasionally deep,
painful sigh would escape from linn,
q saddening evidence to those around
him of the terrible grief which had
come upon him. AS he sat there buried
In his own distracting thoughts, Lieut..
vandever entered and silently stood,
cap in hand, with the group. After q
time the colonel raised his head and
said to Capt. Colby:
"Yes, I heard the story, but did not
give It second thought. The men
nearly all have moonshinc stories to
tell of the causes that led them into
the ranks II he Is such paragon OF
virtue and respectability, why docs he
not notify his friends of his mistake
and secure his discharge? II would he
IN easy matter"
"Perhaps, colonel" said vandever,
"he does not desire to return 10
his friends. An unromantic sheriff
might"
"Stop, sir! Stop" the old officer
reared. GLOW dare you east such n
reflection on the character Of that man,
and In my presence. too, when You
know that Mt this moment he Is rislsing
his life to save my child! He is n brave
man. sir. ana gentleman. and perhaps
your equal II not superior in every
thing that goes to make the man. Go
from my house. sir. and never dare to
enter II again until you learn to speak
Of gentleman us n gentleman. Go,
sir!''
All. Pirate Brown, II you could
have heard this defense Of your char
nctcr from the man who but few
hours before would have struc.i You TO
earth with his sword, the flicker
ing spark of hope which yet glowed fit
fully in your troubled breast would
have burst into Game. and your strong
arms would have been doubly nerved
for the pcrilous task before you.
Captain, do yen know anything
more Of this fcllow?" the commander
asked. after Vandcvcr had skunk away
In confusion.
Nothing. colonel. He Joined my
troops ut Fort Laramie in Wyoming
territory few weeks before we were
transferred to this post. lie came out
with detachment OF recruits. and this
man Brown and a young lrishman
named Lannan were assigned to my
troop"
as this man Lannan yet with you?"
"He is, sir. and is most excellent
soldier. His droll Irish wit is, ] nin
told. the life of the troop"
After some more conversation the
old commander expressed desire TO be
left alone, and the officers retired. At
once calling an orderly, he directed him
ogo to the FIRST sergeant of u troop
and have Private Lannan report to him
at headquarters.
There soon came knock at the door.
and on being hidden Lannan entered
the room. lie was brawny young
Irishman with n jovial. good-naturcd
east of countcnance, and an eye that
denoted love for fun.
"You ere Private Lannan, of u troop.
are you?" the commander asked.
"Yig. sor-r-r." the soldier replied
with the military sclntc.
"Sit down in that chair. my man,
and want you to give truthful an
swcrs to such questions as may put
to you. Where did you enlist?'
''In New York. sor, an may the divil
roast the lynn spalpeen of n sargint
THAI got me fut in the thrap. You see,
SCR, i"
Never mind that" the colonel in
tcrrupted WAS Priv@tc brown Of
your troop enlisted ut the same time?"
"Thct he was. scr. barrin' the fact
that I wor rooined an hour forninst
him. You see. SCR. landed but
wake before from the ould country
an wor loolsin' fer job. when who
should mate but sargint OF the
army. sor. Can't you put me on the
thrach of job% says I. 4 can said
he. 'Faix I'm yer mon says !, an wild
that he towld me he wcr hirin' men to
list us sogcrs. 'Divil the wunst do !
want to be soger an git kilt I'M
sculpcd to me grave by the haythen
Injuns.' says |, an wild that he laughed
till cud see the insiles nv him. Sure,
Amirican sogers don't be afther foight-
In ut ALL says he, 'jist live in grand
stoyle an wear foine uniforms an look
swate ON parade before the ladies.
Musha God but his blurncy captivated
me intoirely, sor. an whit wild him to
the headquarters an TUX me oath.
That did, sor, bad luck to me-"
"Well. but about Brown. Was he
with yen ut the timer
"Eis'i brown. t. It? Fax he wor
not. scr. but as I wa rittin' OF binch
In the hcalquart,icrs with some other
dom fools l0il,c mesclf heard a car
riage shtcp forninst the cure below,
IN thin there wCr racket on the
shtairs. PLAT the divii is the hula
baloo nowY Jays TO mesclf. IN wild
that ! opened the durc an there wor
the basic Of iHrCint wild as foinc u
young gin,lsIaaa IS yer honor's eyes
liver shtrcc,;. lie wor drunk. SCR; so
baGtely Intoxicated that the sargint
dilbe .1ojht .rryia' hin up the shtairs.
The saryint did al the tonne he tcllin'
hi.a t. o.; hi n.Iac wor Richard
Brown. which had me doubts wor his
nninc ut I'll 1t Ill. Well, scr, wild dc
sargint houl In him to his fate he
wore ghvcrcl Into the Crmy, an the
lcstcnant an The s:rgint u GRIMM
lcil;e two raurthcrin' balloons ut nich
other loilse It wor foine bit of joke"
~ ID OUTRAGE, sir! II wGs id
OUTRAGE" reared the old officer. you
soy the ycurg nam was SO intoxicated
that he seemed unconscious Of what
was transpirirg?"
THAT he wor, sor. an I'd take me
dyin' oath on It this Elcsscd minute
barrin' the fact that I'm ingood hilth-"
"And then what hcppcncdP"
Ia 49, If~~fIta