The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-22

chlilciy, anu, BlOplDS IOr MS glasses,
finding them, distractedly he tried to 1it
their spring on Lucretias finger. Fen
ton, who had joined tho group Of on
lockers, could stand it no longer. Burst
Ing into roar of laughter, he came TO-
ward them, and, thus interrupted, poor
Wayne dropped both hand and cycglase,
madly trying to fit his own ring into his
own eye and look through that under
tho impression that it was q monocle.
What on earth are you people laugh
ing at?'' he inquired.
Laughing at? At your trying to
make spectacle hook of Lucrctia's
hand, you inspired old lunatic," was
Fenton' s unfeeling answer, and poor Lll-
cretia, unable TO stand tho raillcry at
the moment, turned and fed to tho dress
ing room, leaving Wayne to confront
his tormCntors as best he might.
But while music and laughter rcigned
| within the wooden walls OF the assem-
bly, room and many young hearts were
ablo to cast aside for the time being the
oppression that had settled upon the
garrison earlier in tho evening, and
whilo in some Of tho barracks there
wcro sounds OF merrymaking and Christ
breast n storm as wild as that that
whirled tho snowdrifts in binding
clouds all around and about tho guard
house, where score OF seasoned troop
ers, silent, grim and by no means in
love with their task, were keeping
watch and ward over their littlo batch
of prisoners, especially of tho covering
wretch who had been slowed away in
the upper room, an utterly friendless
man.
Over across tho wind swept parade,
among tho rows Of wooden barracks,
was ono building whero no laughter
rang and about which, wary and vigi-
J liant, tlrco or four nomcomm issioncd
officers lowered necessarily. Hero were
| Quartcred Crow Knifo's few remaining
comrades Of the Indian troop Here were
gathered already dozen Of his kindred
from Big Roads transplanted village,
forbidden by tho fury of tho storm to re-
turn to their tepees up the valley, ban
ished by tho surgeon from tho confines
Of tho hospital, whore they would fain
have set up their mournful death song
to tho distraction Of the patients and re-
fused by tho colonel tho creature COM
| ASAhS NhSy het NHu tiIlltlly
demanded, except OH condition that they
consume them in quiet md decorum Mt
the Indian barracks and deny them
selves tho luxury of their woo. Tomtom
and howl were stilled, therefore, while
tho funeral baked meats went from hand
to mouth and disappeared with marvel.
GUS rapidity, and indeed but for its ex-
citing effect upon the warriors the colo
mel might as we'll navo accorded them
! the right to lament after their own
fashion, since tho bowling Of the tenn
pests would have drowned all human
| wall from within the wooden walls.
But while they had promised to hold no
| aboriginal ceremony over Crow Knife's
| death and meant to keep their word
they had refused to pledge themselves
| to attempt no vengeance on his slayer.
| Well they knew that throughout the
| garrison nine out Of ten OF the troopers
| would have cared not a sou had some
| ono taken Craice from the Guardhouse
and strung him up TO the old flagstaff
| without benefit of clergy, but this would
not have satisfied Indian IDEAS h&ug-
! ing according to their creed being far
| too good fCr him.
Two of tho best and most trustworthy
Indians were placed by Lealc, With tho
| surgeons consent, rs watch RS by tho
| bier of tie soldier scout, but the others,
TO man, were hcrdCd within the bar
racks and forbidden to attempt TO set
foot outside. Close ut hand in the adj
| joining quarters the mon Of two troops
were held i'll readiness, under orders rot
TO take Cf their belts, against any sud-
den outbreak, but the few who first had
talked OF lyICning or other summary
vengeance had soon been hushcd to
| silence. What was feared among the
officers was that Graico had been told
by somc Of tho guard that the Indians
were determined to have his scalp, and
that the soldiory SO despisCd him that
he could not rely upon them to defend
| him. Sergeant Grafton WAS confident
! that Graico hoped iii sOno way, by con-
nivanco perhaps Of members Of tho
guard, TO slip out Of tho building and
take refuge among the outlaws at tho
| groRgery across tho stream. Having
killed an Indian no had at least somo
little claim, according to their theory,
to u fronticrsman s respect.
Returning TO tho guardhouse, as he
had promised Will Malcolm Lealo was
in nowisc surprised at Grafton's anxiety
and even less to learn that Graire had
| begged to be allowed to have speech
with his captain.
1t was ghastly face that peered out
from the dim interior of tho little pris-
on in answer to tho officers summons.
AT sound Of footsteps on the crcaking
stairway Graice had apparently hidden
in the depths Of the room and only slow
ly camc forward at the sound of the
commanding voice he knew. Uangdog
and drink sodden as was his look, there
was some lingering, some revival pcr-
haps Of the old defiant, disdainful man
ncr he had shown to almost every man
at Frayno. Respect his captain as even
such as no was forced TO do, look up to
him now as possibly his only hope and
salvation, there was yet to his clouded
intellect somo warrant for vague sem
timent Of superiority.
Outcast, migrate, drunkard murderer
though ho was, he, Private Tom Graice,
born Royle Farrar, was legal owner Of
all that his captain held fairost, dear
est, most precious in all tho world.
Lenle's lovo for Helen Daunton was
something the whole garrison had seen
and seen with hearty sympathy. 1t
would be something to teach this proud
and honored officer that he, the despiscd
and criminal tough, was, after oil, a