The leader., 1897-12-08
THE TWO CAPTAINS.
>~~~N>>~~~~vo~
by Charles II. Lewis.
Copyright. lsg7.l

| u tached from the regiment and pro-
seed westward distance Of five or six
miles, and then take up positions COW
ering the Smokers Gap road and the
Green Cove road. II attacked in force
they will support each other and hold
out as long as possible. Capt. Har-
per, by seniority. will have command"
So read the general order, and half
an hour after receiving it the two COM
panies were on the march. The two
roads, leading into two gaps, in the
mountain, were two miles apart. The
object of sending a force was to pre-
vent rebel scouts or guerrillas from
coming through the defiles and secur-
| ing information of the movements of
the corps on the left wing.
1t had been known in the Seventh
for months that Capt. Harper, of
company ID, and Capt. White, of COM
pany G., were bitter enemies. As
civilians they had lived 200 miles apart.
and perhaps had not heard of each
| other for years, and it must have been
great surprise when they met as
| captains in cantonment. The bitter
ness between them dated back for
years-way back 10 the days when as
young men they both loved the same
| girl. There are men who are good
haters and never forgive. Such man
was Capt. Harper. When the feud
began to make partisans the colonel
sought to smooth matters over, and he
found Capt. White ready to make
| peace. Not so with the other. however.
lie had hated too long. AS far as mill
tary etiquette required he would rec
ognize Capt. White, but beyond that
he would continue to hate and detest
him and hope for his death above that
| Of any other person on earth.
The feud between the captains
dragged in the lieutenauts first and
then the sergeants and corporals, and
| finally the nfiyates, and by and by the
companies could not march together
without quarf,ling. They would not
have been sent off together on this
| day but for a combination of circum-
stances which made it impossible to
| spare another company in place of one
of them. The general order gave Capt.
| Harper malicious satisfaction. He
| had his enemy under his thumb for the
first time, and the companies were
hardly clear of the regiment when he
sent for the junior captain and said:
| you heard the order read, sir, and
here is copy of it. You understand
that | am in command of the entire
| force?'
~ do, SIR" was the reply.
| "Then / shall expect prompt and
cheerful obedience from you. | will
stand no lodging or crawling. 1 I'M
derstand that your men ran away in
the Mills River skrmsh. If they try
that with me | will have my company
fire into them for cowards!"
Capt. Harper" replied the other, as
he saluted, II have the honor to re-
port that company 6 lost two men
| killed and five wounded at Mill River.
ard that it was the first company in ac-
ton and the last to leave the field
perhaps so, but remember that they
must be held up to their work if at
tackled. If you are not feeling we'll and
! wish to turn over the command to your
| lieutenant and go to the rear, | will ar
range it,"
Every one of Capt. Harper's words
was studied insult. He meant it so.
Nothing would have pleased him more
than to put his subordinate under ar
rest and send him back. The junior
captain realized this, and while he
turned white with passion boiling
| within him, and would have given a
| year of his life to strike the other
down, he yet controlled himself and
made no break
Company G was sent on ahead to
cover the mouth of Green Cove gap.
This was really the post of danger.
| The trail through Smokers gap was
so narrow and rough that no body of
| troops could be sent through it. At
Green Cove there was road over
which divisions had marched and their
guns and wagons had followed.
Damn him and his dough- headed
company, but I'd like TO see 'em wiped
out to the last mani" muttered the
senior captain as he watched the sc"
men marched away. 'If I'm attacked
| in force he's got to support me, and
| I'll rush him into the hottest spot, but
| i: he is attacked / won't stir hand or
| foot to save him. God but how hate
blm!"
Company reached its position
| inst in time to drive back detachment
of guerrilas who were debouehing
| from the Gap, and there was a sharp
| little skirmish in which one man was
killed and two or three wounded. No
sooner were the guerrillas driven back
| than the rocks and powders were
rolled together for a breastwork and
| the men in blue stationed behind them.
| A corporal and two men were sent up
| the Gap hundred yards to take posi-
ton, and as they settled down one
of the privates said:
Look here, corp, but it seems to
me that there's damned sight of fool
| ing around this old army of ours.
What do they expect us to do here?"
Eight, mebbe," replied the corporal,
as he lighted his pipe.
"Yes, that's just like Gen. Grant
| Here we are, about 90 strong, and he ex-
| DecIS us 10 tuiS gap USih iotoSo
Johnny fighters. I'm no hand to kick,
| but"
Then what the hell We kickin' fur?"
demanded the corporal. "You are the
worst old growler in the company.
You'd kick if they offered We yer dis
| charge ter-morrer."
"What am I kickin' fur?" repeated
the man, as he bristled up and began
| 10 be sure he had grievance. Look
here. Corp. Brown, ye don't know huff
to walk under a cowshed when it's rain
in outdoors, and mebbe l kin drive an
1ea into yer skull. Here we are, amt
YEP"
I'VE amt anywhere else"
Then that's settled. Down thar is
Company d, two miles away. We are