The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-28

The ncrt instant hc stood erect, acaDing
ome achite object high IN ar.
ing come on" was seen suddenly to
halt and throw himself from his horse.
The next instant he stood erect. waving
some white object high in air. Spur
ring forward, Drummond joined him.
"a lady's handkerchief, lieutenant"
he quietly said. They seem to have
halted here a moment; you can tell by
the hoof prints. One of their number
rode over toward that high point yon-
der and rejoined them here. [ don't be-
lieve they are more than half an hour
ahead"
Drummond reverently took the dainty
kerchief, hurriedly searched for an I'M
tia; or a name and found the letters
.'R. H." in monogram in n corner.
Push on, then, Lee! Here, n more
of you-you, Bennett, join the sergeant.
Look alive now, but do not let your
selves be seen from the front"
Then as they FASTENED away he
slowed the flmy trihe in the pocket Of
his blouse, and drawing his colt from
the holster closely inspected its loaded
chambers. Only u boy, barely %, yet
rich in soldierly experience already
was Dru1nmond. He had entered the
Point when just II. His fathers
death. occurring Immediately before the
memorable summer of their first class
camp, had thrown him perforce into the
society of the so called bachelor club,
and he. was graduated in the June OF
the following year with a heart as
whole as his physique was fine. But
there were some cares to cloud his
young life in the army-a sister whose
needs were many and whose means
We're few. He found that rigid econ
omy and self denial were to be his por-
ton from the start and was not sorry
that his assignment took him to the far
away land of Arizona. where, as his
new captain wrote him, You can live
like a prince on bacon and frijoles'
dress like a cowboy on next to nothing
or like an Apache in next to nothing,
spend all your days and none of your
money in mountain scouting, and come
out of it all in two or three years rich
in health and strength and experience
and infinitely better off financially than
you could ever have been anywhere
else. Leave whisky and poker alone,
and you're all right
He had left whisky and poker alone,
severely alone. He had sought every
opportunity for field service; had
shown indomitable push, pluck and skill
in pursuit of Apaches and cool courage
in action. He had been able to send
even more than was needed, or than he
had hoped, to his sisters guardian and
was proud and happy in the conclous-
ness of a duty we'll done. There We're
no young girls in the scattered garrlsons
of those days. no feminine attractions
to unsettle his peace of mind. The few
women who accompanied their lords 10
such exile as Arizona were discreet ma
irons, to whom he was courtesy itself
on the few occasions when they met,
but only once had he been brought I'M
der the influence of girlish eyes or OF
girlish society, and that was on the
memorable trip to San Francisco dur
ing the previous year, when he had had
the great good fortune to Ice summoned
as a witness before a general court
martial convened at the Preside. He
had been presented to the Harvey Sis
tiers by the captain Of the Newbern
and would fain have shown them some
attention, but there had been much
rough weather in the gulf which kept
the girls below, and not until after pass
ing Cape San Lucas and they We're
steaming up the sunny Pacific did he
see either of them again. Then one
glorious day the trolling lines were out
astern, the elders were amidship play
ing horse billiards., and Tuck,
the genial purser, was devoting himself
to Paquita, when Drummond heard a
scream of excitement and delight and
saw the younger sister bracins her tiny,
slender feet and hanging on to a line