Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-04-05

Sorry for that, sergeant. We've
got to take at least four of them; load
them up with barley, bacon. bareback,
ammunition. Kick off everything else.
We'll feed and water hero before start
devil. Send Trooper Bland here as
soon as he has unsaddled I want him
to ride with me. He knows all the
roads to the south"
Meinecke saluted in his methodical
German fashion, turned away and pres
emily could be heard ordering I'm
Saddle and then shouting for Private
Bland.
Are there any Of our men besides
the farrier who have any knowledge Of
SURGERY" asked the lieutenant of Ser
goant Lee.
"They say Bland has, sir. don't
know any one else"
"Well. I've just sent for him. Mr..
Harvey here doesn't seem to be wound
ed, yet it's impossible to bring him to.
,iivo Woods little more whisky and
see if you can get word out of the ma
jor or Feeny."
But efforts with tho half suffocated
men had no effect. The whisky with
Woods had better results. He present
ly ceased his shivering sobs and could
answer more questions. Drummond
begged for particulars Of the capture,
and these the man found it difficult to
give. He was stationed at the back
door, the corral side, he said, and hand
ly saw the final rush. But there was
something so queer about it. There
had been few minutes lull. Then
Harvey and Feeny both began to talk
excitedly and to call out that the road
agents" were running away, and then
presently there came the sound OF gal
Looping hoofs and cheering and both the
sergeant and Mr.. Harvey had shouted
that the troops were coming and rushed
out TO meet them And the next thing [
knew, said Woods, was seeing Feeny
fattened out ON the ground and crawl
ing on his hands and knees and the
room filled with roughs, some Next
cans, some Ianks, and | slipped into
the corral and saw one of them shoot
Feeny as he was trying to crawl after
me; and while they were swearing and
searching for the safe and carrying it
out, Mr.. Dawes and Mullan managed.
somehow, to help tho pnymaster out,
and then went in after the other man. "
Then Woods could tell little more.
One thing, he said, amazed and excited
him so he cOuldn' believe his eyes. but
he was almost ready to swear that tho
fellow Feenv ran to shake hands with
was a soldier in uniform, and that he
held Feeny's hand while another man
came up behind and "mashed" him
with the butt of his pistol, and that
this fellow in soldier clothes was the
man who afterward shot Feeny as he
was trying TO crawl away.
Drummond looked around at the man
incredulous-slm derisive. The story
was improbable, too inuch so to deserve
even faint attention. just then Mel
necke came back and, precise as ever.
stood attention and saluted
Herr lieutenant, Private Bland is
not with my party at all, sir."
Did you leave him back with the
packs"
NO, sir; the men say he wasn't with
us all night He rode ahead with the
lieutenant until we came to Corporal
Donovan's body"
He's not been with Inc since. ox-
claimed the lieutenaDt Sergeant Lee,
ask if any Of the men have seen him. "
Lee was gone but a moment, then
~,D,a ,>ooy with c-,ra 90 no ~ @,o-,-,IoJ
eyes, bringing with him young troop
er who WAS serving his first enlistment.
Private Goss, here, has queer story
to tell. sir
What do You know? What have
you SEEM asked Drummond.
Why, sir, right after Sergeant Lee
caught sight of the fire and sung out
that it was Morenos was back about Il
couple of rods looking for my canteen.
l was that startled when they found
Corporal Donovan dead that | dropped
1t, and all of a sudden somebody comes
out past mo leading his horse, and I
askeo him what he had lost, and he said
his pipe and passed mo by. and /
thought nothing more about it--only
iIo SCOilcr tltl ne SGt Ollt mo inc dark
where ] couldn't see him than | heard
all of sudden horse start at full gal
lop right over in this direction. and
now think of it it must have been
Bland for it was him that passed lie,
sir-sneaking out like.
Drummond sprang 70 his feet.
What say you to this, sergeant? Do
you beliove-do you think ii possible
that Bland has deserted and joined
these outlaws?"
Il don't know what TO think, sir,
but I haven't forgotten what Feeny
said OF him
What was that"
THAT no had too smooth a tongue to
have led rough and honest life; that
if he was n Texan as he claimed Texas
people had learned to talk different
lingo since no was stationed among
them with the old Second cavalry before
the war, and that he wished he'd been
tbo,.n ,t x.-Ie,, l,o