The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-11-11

obeycd, paid no attention TO il and
really forgot all about it among the de.
tails of life more affecting my welfare.
] wondered if we would get scouting or
ders just as my next years leave Of OBJ
sence became due; if there was really
any chance TO get back that half months
pay / had dropped in the little game
last night; if she meant what she said
she was laughing so l could not make
out at the time; if the mail would bring
me the check which my kind old dad
sometimes sent.
Meantime the day was done and an
other was begun. In the semidarkness
of morning stables | saw Laufer lying
on his straw in the stall. / believe did
wonder if he was cold, but knew if he
had been / could not in any way remedy
it, and so two or three days and nights
passed, one very like the other.
Again 1 walked down TO afternoon
stables with the colonel. He had not
been in my stables since he had ordered
Laufer tied up. We slowly sauntorcd
down the long sidc-opposite the one
the new horse was masking questions
here and there of the men, the "non-
CONS" and the farricr and looking over
the horses Then crossing over we wan
dered up the other side in the same way
till we came to the last stall.
sergeant, how is your new horse
coming along;" said the colonel as he
passed into Laufer' STALL where the pri-
vate was eating the supper which had
been chuckod into the feed box. He
was apparently oblivious of our presence
and paid no attention to the old man as
he brushed his hand along his back.
"Seems well groomed serg- -uh-nt-uh-
h-ohw ~ grunted the colonel as he fell all
doubled up out of the stall.
Lightning was not quicker or more
astonishing. That youngster had placed
both hands on the rail of his hayrack
and with that springy foundation had
planted both feet with electric vigor
fairly in the old mans stomach.
Sergeant Carswell had Laufer fat on
his back i'll a second probably to beat
the life out of him. helped the colonel
up, when he quickly called: Sergeant,
sergeant D-n it man, don't you
hear me? Get away from there and let
that man alone"
"But he kicked the colonel, sir =" said
| Carswell, who started as if to repeat
| the operation on Laufer.
Sergeant Carswell, go to your quar-
ters" roared the colonel, an order
which saved the lucky Laufer from fur
ther trouble. AS it was he had not been
| I Il
founded when the colonel promptly or.
dercd his release. Taking me to one
SIDE he said Captain, you said you
had intended this man should DO a COR
poral:'
Eyes, sir"
"Wcll, have his warrant made out
and send it into the adjutant." Salut-
ing, he went into the next stable while
] dismissed my men. / noticed the men
all gathered about Laufer and was
| pleased that he, waving them aside,
went at once to his bunk and his books,
where he had spent all of his spare
time that first day before he was tied
up. The next day his corporal s stripes
and ChevrOns were issued to him. He
was constantly kept on some special du-
ty which prevented his being at stables.
After Il time l needed a sergeant, and
at the ColOnel's suggestion sent in Cor
pOral George Laufer's warrant. In less
than year afterward l received "the
compliments of Colonel and Mrs. Greg
ory, who request the pleasure Of your
company at dinner, Saturday, Aug 16,
1878, at 3 o'clock p. M, to meet Second
Lieutenant (late sCrgeant George Lau-
fer of the Tenth cavalry, q. S. "A"
attended the dinner with pleasure.
Laufer never groomcd his horse. Rus,
sell Francis in Brooklyn Eagle.