The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-06-23

vale where his Doyhood had peen spent,
to the thickly-settled. thrifty, hustling
shores of the Merrimac!
He had walked nearly a mile and had
seen no sign of camp or sentry, but on
sudden the path left the brushwood
beside the sluggish "branch," rounded
a projecting knoll, and was lost in q
rough, red clay, country road. A fence,
with thick hedge of wild-rose-bushes,
was to his left-leaves and roses long
since withered-and over the tops he
caught sight of the roof and upper
story of some old southern homestead,
at which he had better peep from
the gateway farther along. A path OF
red brick led to the fight of steps,
broad and bordered by unpretcntlous
balustrades. Dingy white columns
supported the roof of wide piazza.
Smoke was drifting from battered
pipe projecting from the red brick
chimney at the north end, and the
morning air was family scented with
most appetizing fragrance of broiling
ham. 1t made Lambert ravenous.
Somewhere around the next bend in
the road, beyond the northward eXtrem-
ity of the old fence, he could hear the
sound of voices and splashing of water.
Fastening on, he found himself over
looking a level bench" surrounded
on three sides by deep bend of the
stream and partially separated from
the red roadway by a fringe of stunted
trees and thick, stubborn bushes; and
here, in an irregular square, Lambert
came face to face with the encampment
of the first company, outside OF West
Point, it was ever his luck to join. At
that particular moment lie was just
about ready to resolve it should be the
last.
On two sides of the square, facing
each other and perhaps 20 yards
apart, were the "a" tents of the Som-
pany. ten on a side. At the flank farth-
est from the road and pitched so as to
face the center of the inclosure was a
wall tent. backed by one or two Of the
smaller pattern. Nearest the road was
second wall tent, used, possibly, by
, the guard-though no guards were Wis
! ible-the white canvas cover of un army
: wagon. and a few more scattered IA
tents. Cook-hrcS had been abaze and
! were now smoulGering about the wag'
5 on. Several men in gray woolen shirt:
E were washing their faces at the stream
3 others, in light-bluc overcoats, were
: sauntering about the tents, some Of
a whose occupants, as could be easily
t seen, were still asleep.
: Standing at the edge of the winding
t road, and thinking how easy matter
|. it would be to toss hand-grenade int
the midst of the camp, Lambert PAUSED
q moment and studied the scene. Rest
ing on his sword, still in its chomoi
case, with his cloak and satche
S thrown over his shoulder, the youn;
d officer became suddenly aware of maj
wearing the chevrohs of a corporal who
r fshing-rod in hand, was standing jus
IS beyond a clump Of bushes below AM
6 looking up at him with an eXpressio
Il on his shrewd, "Bowery-boy" face i
d which impudence and interest wer
s. about equally mingled. So soon as h
found that he was observed, the CO..
?" poral cooked his head on one side, anc
With arms aliimbo and quizzcal gri
t on his freckled phiz, patronizingly il
le quired:
TX "Well, young feller, who made the
81 clothes?"
Lambert considered moment befol
k making reply. One of his favorite i
lr structors at the academy had spoken
the graduating class about the splend
timber to be found among the rank al
,e, file of the army. "They are like
le many old oaks" said he, and some
Lambert's chums had never forgott'
: it. Neither had Lambert.
tTo BE Continued