The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1895-07-04
PRIVATE BROWN.
BY CAPTAIN JACK CRAWFORD.
Copyrighted 1894. BY CAPTAIN JACK CRAWFORD.
All Rights Reserved
tTHE POET SCOUT

scoundrel, get out of my sight before
kill you! Go, / say, you audacious viii
lain, or I'll crush you as l would
snake! Begone!"
Selling sword that lay near by, he
rushed at the young soldier and would
have run him through had he not
hastily retreated through the door,
The grim old warrior was terrible in
his wrath. Pacing to and fro across
the room he raved and swore and
slashed his sword about, his face pur-
pie with passion. Then new idea
seemed to strike him, and pausing in
his mad march he said
"Why, the fellow is surely crazy. He
is as mad as March hare and must be
looked after or he may harm some one.
What an old fool was to fly into
passion over the irresponsible rawlings
of an insane man. Ha! ha! ha! ha!
Why, damme, | should laugh over his
absurd fancy instead of wanting to
kill the fellow. Alicel Alice, say!"
A side door opened and, pale as
ghost and trembling in every limb, his
daughter entered. She had heard it
all, and her heart was well-nigh
broken. Seeing her agitation, the old
man placed an arm atfectionately about
her waist, and, drawing her tenderly
to his bosom, said:
There, there, my little treasure,
don't be frightened. 1t was nothing
but poor insane soldier who imagines
himself to be in love with you. Ha! ha!
ha! ha! Isn't it ridiculous? Come, Sum
shine, don't tremble SO, for the poor
fellow bS gone and cannot harm you.
I will at once order his confinement in
the guardhouse until he can be re-
moved to an asylum. Kiss your old
fool father, little sweetheart, and dis
pei your fears"
Throwing her arms about his neck,
she kissed him fondly, and, in voice
choking with sobs, said:
"Oh. papa, dear, darling papa, would
you doom your little Sunshine to life
of unhappiness? know the gentleman
who was just here. He is man of
honor and integrity, and love him as
l love my life!'
The old father cast her from him and
would have fallen to the floor from the
shock had he not clutched his desk for
support. Gazing upon her trembling,
covering form he said hoarsely:
Are you, too, crazy? Speak, girl!
Are YOU, too, u raving lunatic? What!
You bestow your love upon worthless
private soldier! Oh, my God, this is too
much! Would you disgrace the honored
name you bear, name upon which
there has never yet rested stain, by
lowering yourself to such depth? Get
out of my sight this Instant, and never
dare to enter my presence again until
you have repented of this mad folly
and are ready to ask my pardon for the
gross insult you have flung in my face.
but, father in the name OF heaven,
in the name of my spirit mother, listen
to me-"
mo, not word. Leave my sight, or
/ may forget that you are my child and
curse you! Begone, / say, this Instant"
Sobbing violently the poor girl left
the room and Fastening to her own
chamber threw herself on the bed and
gave way to her grief in the most pit
eous cries and means.
Col. Sanford paced his room like a
Gagged lion Twice he sat down and
wrote an order addressed to the officer
of the day instructing him to place Pri-
vate Brown under arrest and confine
him in irons in the guard house, and as
often tore the order into fragments
and cast it with an oath into the waste
basket. He knew of no military law
which made it crime for soldier to
fall in love with pretty girl.
When her first burst of grief had
spent itself Alice arose, and going to
the stables mounted her pony and rode
away over the mesa to the southwark,
hoping the fresh air might cool her
fevered brow. On, on she sped, re-
CARELESS of time or distance, until she
reached the head of gclch four mile
below the fort. Down the gulch she
rode, intending to return to the gar
rison along the river bank-along the
path which she had travcrscd with her
lover but two hours before. Just as
she emerged from the mouth of the
gulch into the open valley there arose a
loud, savage yell that chilled her
blood, and score of dusky forms
sprang up from the bushes and con-
fronted her. Savage hands grasped
the reins, of her bride and savage eyes
glarod upon her trembling form and
gloated over her terror.
She was in the hands of band OF
Mescalero Apache Indians, their hid
eous faces rendered yet more hideous
by great blotches of war paint.
While some of the Indians danced
about her in fiendish exultation, Others
bound her arms with rawhidc thongs,
,fnd then, leading her pony in their
midst, they forded the Rio Grande and
moved eastward through the hills to-
ward the Mescalero reservation beyond
the San Andreas.
| A cavalry soldier who was hunting
antelope in the hills witnessed the cap
ture from distance, and pushing his
horse to its utmost speed bore the
news to the fort
The tidings of the poor girls capture
threw the garrisonEinto the widest ex
element. Bugles blared forth the cal
to horse, and every preparation was
made for the pursuit of the red fiends
Col: Sanford paced the porch in front
of his quarters, issuing orders to his of
fcers, swearing aud gnashing his teeth
in his great rage and grief. In thu