The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-09-09

when the boy remembered Just enough
to give his conversation a peculiarly
brilliant turn. He argued great things
from this when Alexander should go to
school. But when he went to school,
Osborne saw the truth.
Alex, the account of you Is very
bad. You've barely scratched through
on two things, and you've failed on
mathematics altogether. I've told you
that mathematics is the test at the
Point" Osborne admonished.
"Oh, come, l say; let up, Herbert.
I'm trying to learn this piece" He
picked on with beautiful absorption at
the guitar the lieutenant had given
him.
Put up that thing and listen to me-"
Alexander obeyed, as all men did
when Osborne willed.
Il am going to get you into West
Point at 90. When 1 say am going to
do it, you know how it is going to be
done. Don't you? None of it depends
on you except the study. can't make
you drink, but I'll take you to water
and keep you there until you find it
will be easier to drink. You can go
back to the ranch if you like, but I'm
not afraid you'll like. l don't want to
treat you as small boy unless you act
| the part of one. You can learn, and
you must learn, or the theaters will
stop, and the hops will stop, and the
guitar will stOp-also the tennis. You
have been cutting time, but henceforth
you will study four hours day, and l
will sit with you to help you and see
that it is DONE"
So four hours out of every twenty
four Osborne put to the use Of teach
ing one who did not wish to learn. Den
sity can be bored through with pa
teinece. 1t is the india rubber of indif-
ferent cleverness that resists. After
some of the struggles, Osborne would
lie awake for the rest of the night from
sheer nervousness. The boy slept with
unruffied brain. The lieutenant almost
came to forget the girl. But never
quite. A letter would come when Alex
ander was most inert, and Osborne
would stare straight in front of him
and grit his teeth, and wonder that
man could live with both sides of his
nature thwarted and cut back.
But he lad his reward. Alexander
went into the Academy at 20. He was
the handsomest and most popular ca
det in his class-and he failed in the |
first year.
Inc T., ine
is ever quite sure; but in Osborne's |
case it must have been sheer force of |
determination. Alexander was reap
pointed, and he himself was made in
structor at the Point.
He stood over the cadet with the
singing lash of lis ambition; and
Alexander was graduated fifteen. Os-
borne unwisely took some credit to
himself.
Nonsense" said Alexander, 'I'd have
done it alone. The first miss was only
bad luck; don't think it's your circus"
1T doesn't make any great difference
to me whose circus it is, so that you
come out all right. I'm only glad you're
getting some ambition"
Ambition be hanged! It's the one
word in your lexicon. I'm sick of the
sound of it. 1t is the sin by which the
angels fell. Look out you don't fall,
angel brother"
I'm not likely to fall, but shouldn't
mind it, if it put you on a mountain
height"
mo heights for me. 1 can't breathe
rare air." answered the younger.
Now, in the course of army events it
came to pass that a strange fate made
Alexander Osborne second lieutenant
n the troop of which his brother was
irst lieutenant. And the first lieutenant
continued his ambitious goading. Alex
lnder was Independent at present, and
resisted to some purpose. He would .
lot spend his nights in study and his
lays in wire-pulling. The War De- {
,artment did not reward that sort of
hing, he said: it was action it approx
ID. Wait until his time for action came
then he would satisfy his brother. =,
And the time for action did come. r
But the action was disappointing. They (
two hundred miles, and then c
marched back again. Alexander COM t
'laiDnd loudly that he had had no Oc- |
aston to display his prowess in battle.
He should have been quite safe in
his, for that evening they would be !
nee more in Grant. But the Indian -
ost is not to be reckoned with. At y
ten miles of the post f
he Apaches caught the battalion in q k
ayine, and kept it there until well into a
ne night. t
The moon came up and showed to '
ne bucks hiding behind the cedars and e
crub-Oaks on the rise, the soldiers
enned in the gully below them. 1t was =
lerely, for the latter, n question Of q
olding out and having few men
illed. The danger was not great un- d
ss the Apaches should be REINFORCED e.
: the couriers should not reach the
,rt. So the men took shelter behind
ushes and rocks, and fired at the r
ashes of light in the darkness above
lem. The officers walked about in the
eep shadows, firing, too, and giving "
'ders. ~ =,
First Lieutenant Osborne was with :.
S sergeant and another lieutenant o,
hen he came upon Second Lieutenant re
sborne crouched down between two q
cks, his arms clasped over his bent as
,ad and his carbine dropped on the fl
Ound beside him. W
There was no mistake to be made. ~ ~
ne other lieutenant hesitated, the SER ~
ant drew back. But Osborne went =.
, and touched his brother with his
OF. In
Lieutenant Osborne" he said to the tn
nior, ''go and report to the officer in ca
Captain Clarke. shall have tn
eceded you and have reported you ia, Ia
r cowardice." .!
He went in search Of the Captain,
d made his report, and Second Lieu vi
nant Osborne was sent under arrest DO
elk to the diSmOilnted horses In tho | ho