Daily camera., 1897-01-19

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Hammer the door with the butt Of your rifle"
their commander should at last have
seen for himself what they had more
than half suspected all along
Parmelee was an arrant coward, who
had held his position and made. his
record for efficiency in enforcing the
laws only when a big squad of regulars
was at his back.
AS for Lambert, whose sole knowl-
edge of affairs in the south was derived
from the accounts published in the
northern journals and inspired almost
without exception by ''carpet-bag'' poli-
ticians, and who fully expected to find
himself pitted against determined ar
ray CT eX-confederates engaged in the
slaughter of federal officials, white and
black, the young New Highlander be-
gan to look upon the whole affair as
another practical joke devised by his
new associates simply "to test his grit
or gullibility." This, at least, was his
first impression, until the sight of the
main body of the company swinging
into the square under command of the
first sergeant, and another look at
Closes burning brown eyes and Parme-
lees hangdog face convinced him that
so far as they were concerned there
was no joke.
But how about the chuckling natives
now augmenting their number every
moment? Certainly there could be no
doubt as to the contempt they felt for
'the SQUIRE as they facetiously termed
Parmelee, or the ridicule which Closes
appearance lad excited until he had
well-nigh finished his denunciation of
the civil officer. Then for an instant
there was almost ripple of applause.
They watched him as, in his uncouth,
ill-fitting. unsoldierly garb, the com
mander strode angrily back and be-
gan searching the wall and window
shutters of the jail for signs of bullet
marks.
Meantime, gradually recovering con-
tidence or hope, the besieged in the eel
lar of the Westinghouse began to par
ley. The bell ceased ringing, and hum
bic voices were heard asking who were
outside. A brusque order in Closes
gruffest tones to "Come up out of that
hole and account for your prisoners,
seemed to cause unlimited joy. There
was sound of unbarring doors and
scrambling' on wooden stairs, and pres
emily the portals opened an inch or
two and cautious peeps were taken.
The sight of the blue uniforms was
enough. The defenders. white and col
ored, to the number of six, dusty but
1lniniured, came gladly forth into the
AFTERNOON sunshine. by 'gad, fellows,
we had hard work staniiin' of that
crowd til you come" began the fore
most, another of the Parr1elce type
'SThere must ha' been halfEhittomingo
county in here. and the Enullets few
like"
But here a guffaw of derisive laughter
from across the street, the crestfallen
face of Parmelee. and the quizzical gr:n
on the sun-tanned features Of the sol
diers, put sudden check to his Ac-v OF
words. There stood Close, gloweriug at
him
'Flew like what, you gibberin' IDIOT?
The only builet-hole in the hull square
that hasn't been here fou, six yseeks is the
one IN that Tuthless mule there. You
dam towards ran for shelter an let
your pris' s'Bers loose; that's plain as
the nose on your face I don't care
for the pris'ners-that's your bHs' ness;
but what ! wants our mule Lieut..
Lambert he continued. addressing his
silent junior, I'm as ready as any man
to fight for the flag, but for six months
now Eve been sittin' here furnishin'
posses to back up these feflers maxim
all over the country, because
them was my orders. | haven't t seen
a niger abused. ] haven't seen the
uniform insulted. / haven't seen "a sign
of lukluX; nothin' but SOME contra
band stills. I've obeyed orders an
helped 'em to make arrests of people
don't personally know nothin' about,
an you see for yourself they dasn't lift
a hand to hold 'em. I'm tired O. backin'
up such a gang of towards, an don't
care who knows it. March the men
back to camp, sir. I'm goin' after that
mule.'
- Sr~Assf
vi.