Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-03-08

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sort Of credentials. Who can vuuch
for his goings ana conings horcabouts
before he joined us? ! think Murphy's
right, and if l was stationed at Lowell
and belonged to his troop you bet I'd
watch him close"
Now, in all tho command it would
have been hard matter TO find sol
der in whose favor appearances were
so unanimously allied. Tall, erect,
sinewy and active, he rode or walked
with an easy grace that none could fail
to mark. His features We're fine and
clear cut; his eyes dark hazel, with
heavy curling lashes and bushy. low
arched brows his complexion, naturally
dark, was bronzed by sun and sand
storm to a hue almost Mexican. He
shaved clean all but the heavy mus
tache that dropped over his firm lips,
and the sprinkling of gray about the
brows, temples and nustache was
most becoming to his peculiar style.
One prominent mark had he which
the descriptive book Of his company
referred TO simply as "saber scar on
right Jaw" but it deserved mentlo-.
more extended, for tho whitish streak
ran like "A groove from just below the
car tip to the angle Of the square, reso-
lutte chin. 1t looked as though in some
desperate fray mad sweep had been
made with vengeful blade straight for
the jugul8r, and just missing that
had laid open the jaw for full four
inches.
But, said Feeny, what could he
have been doing, and in what position
could he have been, sitting or standing,
to get a saber stroke like that? Where
was his guard2 A bowie knife, now
and there the suggestion ended.
But it was the scared side of BANDS
soldierlv face that young Lieutenant
, Drummond was so closely studying as
| they rode out into the starlit Arizona
night. He. too, had heard the camp
chat about this apparently frank, open
hearted trooper, and had found himself
more than once specializing as to his
real past. not the past OF his lmaglna-
ton or of his easy offhand description.
: BY this time, in perfect silence save for
the occasional clink of canteen, the
gurgle of imprisoned water, or, once in
d Willie, llt CllCh VI IlOllohph IApOI, tllC
troop was marching in shadowy col
6 umn of twos well out beyond the falda
l and over the almost dead level of the
y plain. Far ahead the beacon still
= blazed brightly and beckoned them on.
I 1t was time for precautiOn.
$ Sergeant. " said Urummond, "send
= a corporal and four men forward. Let
I them spread out across the front and
= keep 800 or 400 yards ahead of us.
t Better take those with the freshest
0 horses, as | want them to scout thor
y pughly and to be ON the alert for the
= faintest sound. ANY Of our men who
o know this valley wcll:'
l None better than Bland here, sir, -
y was the half hesitant reply.
Z. "W-e-l-l, | need Bland just now.
s Put eomo of the old hands and older
= -. s;,,.s on, and don't let anything escape
@ heir notice"
!, Beg pardon, lieutenant, bat what
y to be the line of direction? When we
!, started It was understood that we were
y to take the shortest cut for Ceralvo's,
. and now we're heading for the Pr
n cacho. -
o NO. we make for fine pass flst;
g that's the quickest way to reach the
= signal station, then we learn where to
g strike for the Indians. Did you ever
d hear of their being as far west as the
Il MariCopa range before?'
n Never, sir, in the whole time we've
e been here, and since the lieutenant
IS joined they've never been heard ci
If crossing the Santa Maria valley"
l, What ON earth could tempt then
II cut so far? There's nothing to b,
}; gained and every chance Of being GU
IS off by troops from Grant and Bowie
II even if they 90 succeed in slipping by
:, US. "
= That's more than 7 can tell, sir
'e The men say the paymaster's coming
&c along this week; they heard it from tn,
Il quartermaster' train we passed at thu
% Cienega three days ago"
II Trooper Bland was riding in silence
on the left of the detachment com
y mander as he had been directed. Thu
"a sergeant had come up on tho othe
"a flank.
rs What men heard this?" oskec
Is Drummond, quickly.
w ny, ItlltISoll tpl't il1', blI, am
III Lucas and Quinn, and | think Blan,
&c here was talking with the train escor
v and must nave heard it. "
re- Did you, Bland 2" asked the lieu
y tenant, as he whirled suddenly in nj
'r saddle and faced the trooper.
Il Yes, sir, " was the prompt reply
10 several of the men spoke of it. 1t
rs about the most welcome piece of new
le they could give to fellows who had fou
u, months pay due. -
I In the isolation of this mountai
scouting business, when, as often haE
rs pens, one officer is out alone for week
~ with no comrades or associates but hi
Is detachment it naturally results that
10 greater freedom CT intercourse an
III speech is developed between the con
"a mander and some, at least of his part
III than would ever he the case in Veal