Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-02-05
TX

cloudy, with the wind still moaning
among the almost leafless branches and
whirling dust-clouds from the crooked
road. After night of so much excite
ment camp slept late. Lambert was
aroused somewhere about seven by q
scratching at the tent flap, and Sergt.
Burns. answering the summons to
"come in" poked his freshly shaved face
through a framing of white canvas to
ask if he might send the lieutenant some
breakfast from the cook-fire. 1t was
barely "a hours since his arrival in camp,
and so crowded had these hours been
with event, experience and novelty that
the young officer seemed to feel he had
been a month on duty. There lay his
blue flannel blouse at the foot OF his cot.
Unseen hands had tossed it from the
| window at which on his first appear.
ance the previous night slender, white.
robed form had been piteously crying
for help. He drew it to him and
searched the left shoulder strap. Yes!
| Even now three or four curling hairs
were twining like the tendrils of vine
about its dead-gold border and across
the field of sky-blue velvet-another
vogue to the day. "She had time to dis
entangle the mass, but could not see
these fine filaments in so dim light"
he laughed to himself. "Only fancy
what my NIerrimac madre would say if
she were to hear that pretty head
southern girls head-had been resting
on my shoulder the very first night l
got here! Only fancy what the damsel
herself would say, if she had a chance to
say anything! And as her mamma
well, what wouldn't she say?"
Lambert had lots to think of as he
made his soldier toilet and came forth
into the gloomy, moisture-laiden air,
for the southeasterly wind was sweep
ing the rain clouds up from the distant
gulf, and nature looked bleak and dis
NAL. Two items occurred to give him
comfort. No sooner had he stepped out
into the open space than the one sentry
at the other end of the camp shouted:
"Turn out the guard-commanding Of
ficer!' which was unnecessary at the
distance and under the circumstances,
yet clearly proved that the disposition
|
recognition of the arrival Of an officer
who knew what discipline meant.
And then, looking suspiciously as
though he had been waiting for chance
to undo the i'll effect of his blunder of
the previous day, there in front of
Burns tent stood Corporal Cunningham,
company clerk; and the salute with
,,,l,;,b 10 bonora1 tho oo,,, r, comma n r nv
was as pregnant with good intent as II
was clumsy in execution. Somebody
had placed an empty clothing box by
the side of the tent, covered it with can
vas fly, and set this improvised table for
one with the best tins the company mess
afforded. Somebody else had carefully
BACKED the lieutenant's boots and shoes
and presently up came young German
soldier bearing the lieutenants break
fast on the company cooks breadboard
which was covered with clean white
towel.
Burns is one of the oaks, at any rate,
thought Lambert, as the sergeant fol
lowed to see that all was in proper order
Ham and eggs, Soldier coffee" can Of
milk, corn bread and bareback, were sci
before him with pardonable pride ant
Burns explained that they bought eggs
milk, and corn-bread of an old darky
who came over from the village almost
every day. Then Lambert bethough1
him of his captured pail of butter. ant
brought it from the tent. This does
not belong to me-" he said. ut rolled
out from the Walton hedge last evening
Do you know who their regular Gus
toner is?"
81 don't, sir. Yet know McBrid,
and others sometimes had butter-goot
butter too, like this. The captain
doesn't buy any, and wouldn't allow thu
company to buy any there. Not that hi
cared, sir; only the old lady was SO up
pish and made such row when any o
our fellows were seen even talking t.
her people that he gave regular order
forbidding it. No one from the Walton
place dare set foot inside camp, and he'll
make it hot for Riggs when he get
back. Murphy is less to blame, but viii
have to go to Ship island all the same,
reckon"
"How are those two this morning?"
"Riggs is stupid drunk yet, but Muir
ply swears he'd only gone to try to &c
Riggs out of trouble; he'd hardly beel
drinking at all. He begs to see the lieu
tenant, sir. He says he can explain tn
whole thing"
And so, later that. morning, afte
Lambert had given his men a furthe
lesson by inspecting both company an
camp and pointing out no end of thing
which could not, he said, be tolerate
in future, Murphy was brought to hi
tent. His face and hands were badl
cut in places, but his bruises were o
little account. With the best intcn
tons in the world, the good lady ha
not the strength for the trouncing tn
fellow had deserved at her hands. TIL
story he told was hardly credible. Lam
bert could have ordered him back wit
sharp rebuke for his falsifications, bu
glance at Burns war-worn face
clouded and perpleNed, made the youn
commander pause. do you really e,
pect me to believe this?" he asked, an
Murphy answered: 'I'm ready to NAL,
oath to it before the pra2te, sorr."
, And this, in effect, was the Irishman
tale: He had known his 'bunky
only since that worthy's cnlistmer
in the company the previous winte
but this much of Riggs almost ever,
body knew; that he had been Sc
geant during the war days and W;
serving an enlistment in the rcgulf
cavalry when deprived, for persistel
drinking, of his chevrons The troo