Daily camera., 1897-01-14
railway. Lambert was On his dignity

y
with all the calm and deliberation he
could master: My ticket would seem
to indicate that such was my Intention"
and almost Immediately regretted it,
for the conductor looked up in sudden
surprise, stood one instant irresolute,
then saying: ooh! All right" turned
abruptly away, walked up beyond the
stove, and roughly shaking the elbow of
a snoring passenger, sung out: Coates
ville," and let himself out with an en-
phatic bang of the door.
Two days later, when asked at Quit
man what sort of fellow the new lieu
tenant seemed to be, Mr. Scroggs, the
conductor, himself soldier of large ex-
perience and no little ability-a man
who had fought his way from the ranks
to the command of the remnantof reg
iment that laid down its battered arms
among the very last, man not five years
Lambert's senior in age, but lustrums
ahead of him in the practical details of
his professionally. Scroggs, the con-
ductor. promptly said: Hes a dam lit
tie fool" and never dreamed how much
DC should one day deplore it.
Newt Lambert, as he was known
among his intimates, was far from be-
ing fool. He had seen very little of
the world, it is true, and, until this De-
cember night, next to nothing of the
sunny south, where at this particular
period in our national history it was no:
h al
as not to fall into error. More especial
ly in the military service was an old
head needed on young shoulders. and
strong head between new shoulder
straps, for army life so soon after the
great warwas beset by snares and temp
tations it rarely hears of now, and many
a fellow, brave and brainy both, in
the DAYS that tried mems souls 'twiXt
Big Bethel' and AppomattoX, or Bel
mont and Bentonville, went down in the
unequal tussle with foe far more in
sidious than faced him in the field, but
which met him day and night now that
peace had come. 1t was at time when
the classes graduating from the mill
tary academy were being assigned main-
ly to the staff corps and to the artillery
and cavalry regiments. Lambert fan
cied that he should prefer the associa
tions and much prefer the stations of
the artillery to those of any other corps.
but an old friend of his fathers. himself
veteran gunner, advised the young
fellow to seek his fortune elsewhere.
eff YOU are commissioned a lieutenant
of artillery said he. 'it may be 20 years
before you see your captaincy." And.
though this was within three years
after the reorganization of the army
in '66. not one of Lambert's contem-
poraries who trusted to luck and ap-
piled for the artillery had yet come
within hopeful range of the double bars.
Lambert amazed them all when he
asked for the infantry arm and took
his commission thankfully.
He had been detailed for summer
duty atthe Point, as was then custom.
so that his leave of absence of three
months did not begin until the 2Sth of
August. He had been assigned to
regiment whose ranks were sadly de-
pleted by the yellow fever, and which
was still serving in the south. "You
won't have to hoof it out to Idaho or
Montana, anyhow" said a sympathetic
friend, land you'll have no end of fun
at New Orleans"
But Lampert's company was not at
New Orleans. Under recent orders it
had been sent up into the heart OF the
country, where some turbulent spirits,
so it was alleged, had been defyiug the
civil officers Of the general government,
and by the time the short southern Win
ter set in more than half his regiment,
together with three or four others, had
been distributed by companies or de
tachmCnts all over the gulf states, and
experienced officers were scarce IS hens
teeth The duty. was unWelcome and
CALLING. Ian. bert's captain lost no time
in getting on staff duty. and q Com
pany went into camp at Tugaloo under
command OF its first lieutenant. Ar
irving at New Orleans. Lambert report
ed himself at the headquarters of the
general commanding, who knew the
boys father. welcomed the son for old
friendships sake, and told his chief of
staff 10 keep him there week or so,
that he might see something of the
southern metropolis and Of his friends
down at the barracks before going to
his exile 'up the road" Dining the
very next evening at Capt. Grams, with
Waring and Pierce, of the light battery,
and perhaps rather ruefully agreeing
with them that he had made beastly
fuke of it, going into the doughboys,
Lambert was asked: "Who's in COM
mand of your company now?"
sour first lieutenant said he. Il
don't know much about him-Brevet
Capt. Close"
Whereupon waring laid down his
knife and fork. "Angels ard ministers
of grace!' he exclaimed. SWELL, If
that isn't the oldest contre-temps I
ever heard Oft" And, then they all be-
gan to laugh.
"You evidently know him." said Lam
bert, somewhat nettled and a trifle i'll