Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-01-10

his friends. An unromantlc sheriff
might"
''stop, sirl Stop the old officer
roared. How dare you cast such a
reflection on the character of that man,
and in my presence, too, when you
know that at this moment he is risking
his life to save my child. He is a brave
man. sir, and gentleman, and perhaps
your equal if not superior in every
thing that goes to make the man. Go
from my house, sir, and never dare to
enter it again until you learn to speak
of a gentleman as a gentleman. Go,
sir!''
All. Private Brown, if you could
have heard this defense of your char
acter from the man who but a few
hours before would have struck 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 flame, and your strong
arms would have been doubly nerved
for the perilous task before you.
Captain, do you know anything
more Of this fcllow?' the commander
asked, after Vandever had skunk away
in confusion.
Nothing, colonel. He joined my
troops at Fort Laramie in Wyoming
territory a few weeks before we were
transferred to this post. He came out
with detachment Of recruits, and this
man Brown and young Irishman
named Lannan were assigned to my
troop"
us this man Lannan yet with you?"
'He is, sir, and is a most excellent
soldier. His droll Irish wit is, am
told, the life of the troop"
After some more conversation the
old commander expressed a desire to be
left alone, and the officers retired. At
once calling an orderly, he directed him
to go to the first sergeant of B troop
and have Private Lannan report TO him
at headquarters
There soon came knock at the door,
a1d on being hidden Lannan entered
the room. He was a brawny young
Irishman with jovial, good-natured
cast of countenance, and an eye that
denoted a love for fun.
''You are Private Lannan, Of Is troop,
are you?" the commander asked.
"Yis, sor-r-r," the soldier replied
with the military salute.
''Sit down in that chair, my man,
and l want you to give truthful an
swers to such questions as may put
to you. Where did you enlist?"
''In New York sor, an may the divil
roast the lyin' spalpeen of sargint
THAI got me fut in the thrap. You see,
sor, /"
Never mind that" the colonel in
terrupted. "Was Private Brown of
your troop enlisted at the same time?"
THAT he was, sor, barrin' the fact
that l wor rooined an hour forninst
him. You see, sor, l landed but
wake before from the ould country
an wor lookin' for a job, when who
should | mate but sargint of the
army, sor. Can't you put me on the
thraclt of job? saws y can said
rutx 1 m yer mon, says !, an VIA
that he towld me he wor hirin' men to
list as sogers. 'Divil the wunst do /
want to be soger an git kilt an
sculped to me grave by the haythen
Iniuns,' says /, an wild that he laughed
till cud see the insides av him. Sure,
Amirican sogers don't be afther foight-
In at all, says he, jist live in grand
stoyle an wear foine uniforms an look
swate on parade before the ladies.
Musha God but his blarney captivatcd
me intoirely, sor, an / wint wild him to
the headquarters an TUX me oath.
That did, sor, bad luck to me-"
"Well, but about Brown. Was he
with you at the timcP'
"Dick Brown, is it? Faix he wor
not, sor. but as | was sittin' on binch
in the headquarters with some other
dom fools loillc meself / heard car
riaRe shtop forninst the dure below,
| an thin there wor racket on the
shtairs. 'Phat the divil is the hula
baloo now? says | TO mesclf, an wild
| that / opened the durc an there wor
! the baste Of a sargint wild as foine
| young r. tlcman as yer honOr's eyes
| ivcr shtrucls He wor drunk, sor; so
! bastcly intoxifcated that the sarRint
! did be mosht carryin' him up the shtairs
| The sargint did all the tonne be tellin'
| him 90 say his name wor Richard
! Brown, which had me doubts wor his
name at all at all. Well, sor, wild de
sarQint a houldin' him TO his fate he
| wore shworcd into the army, an the
! lcftcnant an the sargint a GRIMM
loilke two murthcrin' balloons at aich
other loiltc Il wor "a foinc bit Of n joke
"a id outrage, sir. It was id
} outrage" roarcd the old officer. You
say the young man was so intoxicated
that he seemed unconscious Of what
was transpiring?'
! ''That he wor, sor, an I'd take me
dyfn' oath on IL this blessed minute
barrin' the fact that IN in good hilth."
"And then what happcned?'
"Thin, sor, we wor sint TO that divils
own home. Governors oiland, an the
poor diyil Of boy 80 drunk that he
wint TO shape on the boat an we car
ricd him ashore an put him in "A bunk
in the quarthcrs, an dom the know did
he know till the next mornin'. Whin
he woke up he riz in his bunk n
| loolSin as woild as a bastc an says he,
Boys says he where am l.? Sure yer
on the honorable Governors oiland:
says L. an you do be sogcr in the
army; but divil the bit / think you
made 20 TO confession fur that says !,
fur you wor 80 intoxifcatcd that you
didn't know whittier You had yer
head on yer shoulders or In yer tathe.'
49,. FUN