Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-01-15
copYR,o4T T. 1885, 81 FREpeRckA STOKES coARANN

The order was given, Hail SectlOnS
left-quick march, and, as one man,
Ethe little band was marched half round
the square by the sidewalk to the adju-
tant's room, where the dispenser of jus
tice sat in state, surrounded by the other
officers in the post
contingency of beirg frozen, they We've
marched into little side room, there to
await their turns for appearing
Then the sergeant major gave the CT
der, Sergeant Yorko and evidence
t. shun, right turn, quick march, and
into the presence of the dispenser of
Justice Harry Yorke, Dick Townley and
i Pierre the scout We're uskercd Mark
time in front GIVE nae your cap. Ser
geant Yorke Halt, right turn. And
the beginning or The end Of the play had
begun.
But what need to detail the phrase
ology of the long winded charge that
was preferred against Sergeant Yorke
+ or the scene that followed?' There was
4 Inspector B0under, his round face glow
ing with zeal and virtuous indignation
I As first witness on the evidence, he re-
I lated how Sergeant Y orke had willfully
neglected the precautions he, his supe
rior officer, had taken such pains to
charge him with. And how Sergeant
/ Yorke must have connived with that
! girl, Marie ST. Denis-who might be,
for all he knew, a girl Of light dharac
/ ter, but was at least as bad as her IA
ther, a notorious smuggler, to allow her
to leave the hut surreptitiously and SO
cause the Illustration of the ends of jus
tice
At this point the hands of Sergeant
Yorke twitched convulsively as he
stood at attention; the veins in hisfore-
head stoodsout; he drew his breath in
short, quick gasps that made every eye
in the room look at him wonderingly.
There was one gray haired, elderly sur
geon in the little group of officers who
coughed significantly behind his hand,
stared at the inspector who was giving
evidence with look of Indignation and
disgust, and then turned his back signif
icantly and conteanptuously upon him.
Brave old Dr. Dodd, your memory is
a sacred thing with every man who had
the honor of coming in contact with
you in the Northwest mounted police
force!
To the credit Of the officer who was
trying the case be it said he at this
point pulled Inspector Bounder pretty
sharply up, telling him to conf1ne him
self to the charge and be careful,re-
garding what aspersions he made re-
specting any woman.
Jamie took the snub easily enough.
A man without any sense of honor can
neither be insulted nor snubbed; he is
conscious of the cap ftting-the shape
of his ugly head gives him away-aud
he knows that the best way of getting
over the difficulty is by taking no notice
of it.
Perhaps, after all, Jamie's evidence
did not do Sergeant Yorke as much
damage as it might have done. His per-
sonal animus affected that dispassionate
critical sense which is necessary to work
out logical and conclusive conviction.
In his hatred of the man before him he
evolved from his own gross and slug
gish Imagination utter fabrications
which he had no means of proving and
left unnoticed points that, had they |
been put to the prisoner Or the witness
es, might easily have been construed in
to neglect of duty or breaches of disci
pine
To say that the officer who was try
ing the case realized this and felt heart |
lily ashamed of the feeble case against
the accused were putting it mildly I
The accused had nc questions to ask Of |
this witness
Then the private, Dick Townley, was
examined. His evidence only contradict
ed that of the previous witness.
As for the little scout, i'll whose sim
plicity and ignorance Of the effects CT
heckling had lain the chief hope of ia
ME, he showed himself at least firm
believer in one most excellent precept.
Silence is golden. . Moreover, heseemed
to have become slow of comprehension
to degree, and what knowledge of the
queen s English he had possessed at one
time seemed to have entirely deserted
him Outwardly he resembled the
heather Chinee, his smile being child
like and bland, and when evidently
unable to understand some rather point
cd question that was put to him by the
dispenser Of Justice there was puzzled
and meek pensiveness upon his face
3iat would have done credit to one of
the martyrs of the inquisition When
cautioned regarding this line of conduct
in d way that would hardly have been
permitted in any other orderly room
save in the Northwest mounted police
force, where one man relegates to him
self powers that court martial Of expe-
rienced British officers in other parts of
the empire would hesitate to exercise
he betrayed q most deplorable and i'm
perfect condition of memory. He could
recollect nothing. Tothe student of psy-
onolocy or the investigator of mental
diseases Pierre would have proved
most interesting study. But this condi
ton of mind is not peculiar to those
holding subordinate positions in the
force. Perhaps on other momentous &C.
oaSionc IL hao Y,roupd of3inonior,c r. 10