Daily camera., 1897-01-16

out OF his tent and saw young gen
tleTnan in light-colored suit, courte-
susly raising drab derby in his kid
gloved hand, while he stood erect with
soldierly ease before the company COM
mander Sergt. Burns also noted that
some of the men were titterlng and
all of them looking on. One glance
was enough. The sergeant dropped pen
and pipe and came out of his den with
a single bound, buttoning his blouse
and glaring about him as he did so.
Hush your ID CAB, yQui !" he fierce
ly growled at the nearest group. Get
into your coats, there!" he swore at
another, while with menacing hand he
motioned to others still, whose costume
was even more primitive, to scramble
back to their tents. In ten seconds 81
lence .reigned throughout the camp al
most as complete as that which was
maintained, for that time, at the tent
of the commanding officer. Lambert
actually did not know what to say in
response to his superior's announce
ment. 1t was full ten seconds, or more,
before he determined in what form to
couch his next remark. He had in
tended to say: 81 have the honor to
report for duty, sir;' but vague sus-
picion possessed him that this might
be some game at his expense-some
prank such as cd cadets played upon
"plebes." he compromised, therefore,
between his preconception of q strict
ly soldierly report and his sense of
what might be due his own dignity.
''My name is LAMBERT said he. "And
/ am here for duty as second lleuten-
ant"
Slowly the man in the camp-chair
laid down his work, sticking the needle
into the flap of the tent and hanging
the thread upon it. Then he heaved up
cut of the chair, hung the damaged
trousers over it's back and came pom
derously forward. Not vestige of a
smile lightened his face. He looked the
young gentleman earnestly in the eye
and slowly extended his big, brown,
hairy hand. Seeing that it was meant
for him, Lambert shifted his hat into
the left leaning his sword against the
tent-pole, and his dainty kid-a wild
extravaganza so soon after the war
was for an instant clasped, then slow
ly released. Capt. Close unquestionably
had powerful grip"
"How'd you Gomez" he asked. "Kind
of expected you Monday evenin'-out
from Quitman."
''The general kept me over day
or two to let me see New Orleans. He
told me that you would be notified, sir.
i hope you got the letter2'
"Oh, yes. That was all right. There
was no hurry. l didn't know as they
could get passes over the Northern. l
s'pose the chief quartermaster fixed it
for you, though?" 2" And the brown eyes
searched questioningly the young
officers face.
"Passes? No, sir; bought my tick
ct through
''No. Why, you needn't have done
that. The Quitman roads biddin' for
all the government freight it can get
now. They'd have given you pass in a
minute. | suppose you want to be
quartermaster and comm;ssary?" And
again the brown eyes looked almost
wistfully into the blue.
Il? No, indeed, sir. ! don't know
anything but a little tactics. What
most want''--with glance around
and IN apologetical laugh-"is chance
to wash off the cinders-and something
to eat. I'm hungry as a WOLF
The captain looked troubled. "I've
had my grub; so've the men, 'cept those
that come back late in the night-been
up to Bucliatubbee with the. marshal.
Did you try over at Toog'loo?
Everybody was asleep over there. I
left my trunk at the railway station and
walked out
"Why, ] told the sergeant to send
mule in last night on the chance of your
comm by the OWL Didn't anybody
meet your,
T ''There was a mule, but no body"
laughed Lambert, Except a darky
asleep in freight car. The mule was
lying In the dirt, and snapped his head
SIdu WHeH l. tTleu 10 raise ILL.,.
"What became of him? He didn'tget
away, did he?" asked Close, in great
anxiety.
HE didn't try to-" answered Lam
bert, in some amusement. Like the
eminent head of the late unpleasant
ness, all he asked was to be let alone. i
left him browsing in the public.square." !"
''And the bride an saddle, too? Great
Peter! That's bad. Some lousy mig
gers got him by this time, or his trap
pins at least, an he'll swear the Freed
mans Bureau gave him the hull outfit,
and it'll be s1pped against my pay.
Sergeant he called; wish you'd go
right down town an catch up that mule
nm"
II can't go, sir" promptly answered
Sergt. Burns, his hand going up in un-
accustomed salute in Difference to the
presence of the new officer. "I'm busy
with them ration returns. Here, Fin
ney, you go.'