Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-07-03
for the conductor looked up in sudden

surprise, stood one instant Eresolute
then saying: "OK! All right" turned
abruptly away, walked up beyond thu
stove, and roughly shaking the elbow o
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 cX
perience and no little ability-a mar
who had fought his way from the ranks
10 the command of the remnant OF reg
iment that laid down its battered arms
rmong the very last, n man not five years
Lambert's senior in age, but lustrums
ahead Of him in the practical details OF
lis professionally. Scroggs, the con
ductor, promptly said: Hes n dam lit
lie fool" and never dreamed how much
nc should one day deplore it.
"Newt" Lambert, rs he was known
among his intimates. was far from be-
ing fool. He had seen very little oil
the world, IL is true, and, until this De.
cember night, next to nothing OF the
sunny south, where at this particular
period in our national history II was no:
every man who could so conduct himself
rs not to fall into error. More especial.
~ In the military service was an old
head needed on young shoulders, and
n strong head between new shoulder.
straps, for army life so soon after the
great warwas bcset by snnres and temp
tations II rarely hears Of now, and many
n fellow, brave and brainy both, in
the days that tried mems souls 'twixt
Big Bethel and Appomattox, or Bel.
mont and Bentonvillc, went down in the
unequal tussle with foe far more in
sidious than faced him in the field, but
which met him day and nightpow that
peace had come. II was at n time when
the classes graduating from the mill
tary academy were being assigned main
~ 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.
IF you are commissioned n lieutenant
of artillery" said he. sit may be 20 years
before you see your captaincy." And.
though this was within three years
after the reorganization OF the army
in sc, 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 lie
asked for the infantry arm and took
his commission thankfully.
He had been detailed for summer
duty at the Point, us 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 q
regiment whose ranks were sadly de.
pleted by the yellow fever. and which
was still serving in the south. ''Yon
won't have TO hoof it out TO Idaho or
anyhow" said q sympathetic
friend, land you'll have no end of fun
at New Orleans"
But Lambert's company was not at
New Orleans. Under recent orders il
had been sent up into the heart of the
country, where some turbulent spirits,
SO II was alleged, had been defying 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-
oil over the gulf states, and
officers were scarce rs hens
teeth. The duty was unwelcomc and
calling. Lambert's captain lost no time
in getting on staff duty, and G Com
pany went into camp ut Tugaloo under
of its first lieutenant. Ar
irving Mt New Orleans, Lambert report
ID himself ut the headquarters Of the
general commanding, who knew the
boys father, welcomed the son for old
sake, and told his chief OF
staff to keep him there week or so,
hat he might see something Of the
metropolis and OF his friends
Town at the barracks before going TO
MS exile cup the road" Dining the
1ery next evening ut Capt. Grams, with
Warning and Pierce. of the light battery, ,,
ind perhaps rather ruefully agreeing
With them that he had 'made beastly
luke OF It, going into the doughboys,"
lambert was asked: "Who's in COM ,
maud Of your company now?'
sour first lieutenant" said he. II {
ont know much about him-Brevet /
apt. Close"
Whereupon Waring laid down his ]
,nife and fork. angels ard ministers /
4 gracei" he exclaimed. swell, II {
hat isn't the oldest contre-temps / {
yer heard of" And then they all be- ,
an to laugh.
you evidently know him." said Lam
'ert, somewhat nettled and triae III
t case. "Why did you ask me about
i'm? Somebody told me he had been
for heroism - special
ravery In action, or something Of that 1
ind-during the war;"
Gospel truth" said Pierce. "Close /
) the most absolutely fearless man | i
YER met. Nothing even Waring could s
yer do or shy would rufIle him." And +
hen. though Mrs. Cram declared II n /
hame, she, too, Joined in the general c
,uohtar Nlosa xvne evidnnfly m aaleh- N
ity. ]
And now, rs Lambert found himself q
'ithin few miles-though II might be 1
,veral hours-of his dies nation, he y
rs thinking not little OF the officer =
, whose presence he was so soon to re-
ort his own, and whose companionship
nd influence, for good or for III, he was
ound to accept for the simple reason
mt, so far rs he could learn. there was p