Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-11-15
FROM THE RANKS.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
"What's the matter, Sloat?"

| NOthlng muCn. Ine Co1ouel eolu
me to receive the reveille reports for
Hoyt this week. He's on general court
martial. "
Eyes, know all that. l mean, what
are you waiting for?"
"Mr. Jerrold again. There's no re-
port from his company.
"Have you sent to wake him?'
mo; I'll 60 myself and do it thor
oughly too" And the little major
turned sharply away and walked direct
to the low range of bachelor quarters,
dived under the piazza and into the
green doorway.
Hardly knowing how to explain his
action, Chester quickly followed and
in less than minute was standing in
the selfsame parlor which, by the light
of hickering match, he had searched
two hours before. Here he halted and
listened, while Sloat pushed on into the
bedroom and was heard vehemently
apostrophizing some sleeper:
"Does the government pay you for
this sort of thing, I want to know? Get
up, Jerrold. This is the second time
you've cut reveille in ten days. Get
up, say" And the major was vigor-
ously shaking at something, for the bed
creaked and groaned.
"Wake up, say I'm blowed if I'm
going to get up here day after day and
have you sleeping. Wake, Nicodemus!
Wake, you snoozing, snoring, open
mouthed masher. Come now; / mean
it."
A drowsy, disgusted yawn and stretch
finally rewarded his efforts. MIR. Jer-
rold at last opened his eyes, rolled over,
yawned sulkily again and tried to evade
his prosecutor, but to no purpose. Like
little terrier, Sloat hung onto him
and worried and shook
"Oh, don't, d-n it, don't!" growled
the victim. "What do you want any
way? Has that internal reveille gomez
eyes, and you're absent again, and
no report from B company. By the holy
poker, if you don't turn out and get it
and report to me on the parade I'll spot
the whole gang absent, and then no
matinee for you today, my buck. Come,
out with you! I mean it Hall says
you and he hare an engagement in
town, and 'pon my soul I'll bust it If
you don't come out
And so, growing and complaining,
and yet half laughing, Adonis rolled
from his couch and began to get into his
clothes. Chester's blood ran cold, then
boiled. Think Of man who could laugh
like that and remember! When, how,
had he returned to the house? Listen!
"Confound you, Sloat! I wouldn't
rout you out in this shabby way. Why
couldn't you let man sleep? I'm tired
half to death"
"What have you done to tire you?
Slept all yesterday afternoon and
danced perhaps a dozen times at the
doctors last night. You've had more
sleep than I've had, begad! You took
Miss Renwick home before twas over,
and mean it was Of you, too, with all
the fellows that wanted to dance with
her."
"That wasn't my fault. Mrs May
nard made her promise to be home at
10. You old cackler, that's what sticks
in your crop yet. You are prosecuting
me because they like me so much better
than they do you," he went on, laugh
ingly now. "Come, now, Sloat, confess,
it is all because you're jealous. You
couldn' t have that picture, and / could. 1"
Chester fairly started He had urgent
need to see this young gallant He was
staying for that purpose, but should he
listen to further talk like this? Too late
to move, for Sloat's answer came like .
shot:
81 bet you you never couldp
"But didn't tell you I had week
ago?''
"Aye, but I didn't believe it You
couldn't show it''
"Pshaw, man! Look here. Stop,
though Remember, on your honor, you
never tell"
"On my honor, Of course"
"Well, thereP'
A drawer was opened. Chester heard
a gulp Of dismay, IF genuine astonlsh-
ment and conviction mixed, as Sloat
muttered some half articulate words
and then came into the front room.
Jerrold followed, caught sight of Chester
and stopped short, with sudden and
angry change of color.
81 did not know you were here, he
said.
"It was to find where you were that
I came" was the quiet answer.
There was moments silence. Sloat
turned and looked at the two men in
utter surprise Up to this time he had
considered Jerrold's absence from re-
yeille as mere dereliction OF duty
which was ascribable to the laziness
and Indifference of the young officer.
So far as lay in his power, he meant to
make linn attend more strictly to busl-
ness and had therefore come to his quar-
ters and stirred him up. But there was
no thought of any serious trouble in his
mind. His talk had all been roughly
good humored until-until that bet was
mentioned and then it became earnest.
Now, as he glanced from one man to
the other, he saw in an instant that
something new-something of unusual
gravity-was impending. Chester, but
toned to the throat in his dark uniform,
opc1r.,tal1- u1Oyo6 on6 beltn6 with male