Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-12-02

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Alexander obeyed, as all men did
when Osborne willed.
II am going to get you into West
Point at 20. When say ] am going to
do 1t, you know it is going to be done.
Don't you? None Of it depends on you
except the study, l can't make you
drink, but I'll take you to water and
keep you there until you find it will be
easier to drink. You can go back to the
ranch If you like, but I'm not afraid
you'll like. / don't want to treat you
asa small boy unless you act the part
of one. You can learn, and you must
learn, or the theaters will stop, and
the hops will stop, and the guitar will
stop-also the tennis. You have been
cutting time, but henceforth you will
study four hours u day and I will sit
with you to help you and see that it is
DONE"
So four hours out of every "a Os-
borne put to the use Of teaching one
who did not wish to learn. Density can
be bored through with patience. 1t
is the india rubber Of Indifferent clev-
erness that resists. AMER some Of the
struggles, Osborne would lie awake
for the rest Of the night from sheer
nervousness. The boy slept with I'M
rufiled brain. The lieutenant almost
came to forget the girl. But never
quite. A letter would come when Alex
ander was most inert, and Osborne
would stare straight in front Of him
and grit his teeth, and wonder that
man could live with both sides Of his
nature thwarted and cut back.
But he had his reward. Alexander
went into the academy at 20. He was
the handsomest and mostpopular cadet
in his class-and he failed in the first
year.
just how such things are done no
one is ever quite sure; but in Osborne's
case 1t must have been sheer force of
determination. Alexander was reap
pointed, and he himself was made in
structor at the Point.
He stood over the cadet with the
singing lash of his ambition; and AL
exander was graduated Is. Osborne
unwisely took some credit to himself.
Nonsense" said Alexander, I'D have
done 1t alone. The first miss was only
bad luck; don't think it's your circus
ut doesn't make any great difference
to me whose circus it is, SO that you
come out all right. I'm only glad you're
getting some ambition"
ambition be hangedl It's the one
word in your lexicon. I'm sick Of the
sound Of 1t. 1t is the sin by which the
angels fell. Look out you don't fall,
angel brother"
"Pm not likely to fall, but shouldn't
mind 1t, If it put you on mountain
height"
mo heights for me, Ican't breathe
rare air" answered the younger.
Now, in the course of army events it
came to pass that strange fate made
Alexander Osborne second lieutenant
in the troop Of which his brother was
first lieutenant. And the first lieu
tenant continued his ambitious goad-
ing. Alexander was independent at
present, and resisted to some purpose.
He would not spend his nights in study
and his days in wire pulling The war
department did not reward that sort
of thing, he said; it was action it ap-
proved Wait until his time for action
came-then he would satisfy his
brother.
And the time for action did come.
But the actionwas disappointing. They
marched 200 miles, and then marched
back again. Alexander complained
loudly that he had had no occasion to
display his prowess in battle.
He should have been quite safe in
this for that evening they would be
once more In Grant. But the Indian
host is not to be reckoned with. At sun
set-witnin ten miles of the postr-the
Apaches caught the battalion in a ra-
vine, and kept it there until well into
the night
The moon came up and showed to the
bucks hiding behind the cedars ane
scrub-oaks on the rise, the soldiers
penned in the gully below them. twas
merely, for the latter, question Of
holding out and having a few mer
killed. The danger was not great un
less the Apaches should be reinforced
or the couriers should not reach thu
fort So the men took shelter behint
bushes and rocks, and fired at the flashe
of light in the darkness above them
The officers walked about In the deel
shadows, firing, too, and giving orders
First Lieut.. Osborne was with nj
sergeant and another lieutenant whel
he came upon Second Lieut.. Osborn
crouched down between two rocks, hi
arms elapsed over his bent head an
his carbine dropped on the ground be
side him.
There was no mistake 10 be mads
The other lieutenant hesitatetA tn
sergeant drew back. But Osborne wen
up and touched his brother with hi
! foot.
Lieut.. Osborne" he said to tn
. Junior, "go and report to the officer