Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-07-01
XVIII

quite a family party had gathered an
The ve-andl of The old white homestead
a. Pass Christian. The air was rich with
the fragrance Of 5asIaina and magnolia
d erea. bunch OF roses lay Du The little
table beside she reclining chair. where,
propped up with pillows, Mrs Walton
wns placidlY enioyiug the beauty Of ta"
moonlit scene and rapturouSly contem-
plating the staIwart form OF her soldier
son. II was too much-it was 100 soon
to expect Of a southern woman even
so customary thing as change "i
mind. when that change involved a con
fession of interest and pride in the army
blue, but the mother did not live in all
the broad and sorrowing south whose
soul would not have thrilled with pride
and delight, even though hidden and
unconfessed, in reading the ringing
words with which in general orders a
great union leader had published TO his
troops the story of the heroism, deyo-
ton. and soldiery skill with which
Corporal Floyd Walton, Troop N,
Fourth cavalry, had conducted the de-
Tense of the passengers on the Concho
stage, saving the lives of Brevet Lieut..
Col. Sweet. who was shot early in the
engagement, and of two civilians, and,
though himself twice painfully
wounded, maintaining the defense and
inflictinQ severe loss upon an over
whelming force of hostile Indians, until
finally relieved by the arrival of detach-
ment of troops and volunteers success
fully and oallantly led by Lieut.. |. \.
Lambert, -teenth infantry (wounded),
and Sergt. Dolan, Fourth cavalry.
Sergt. Walton, promoted within the
week, had been granted a months fur
lough as soon as able to travel, and with
his arm in sling had FASTENED home
ward, where within the forty-eight
hours succeeding his arrival he bad
time and time again to tell his story of
that fearful day. They had got With
in five miles of the Caliente before dis
covering that only a smolGering ruin
remained of the stage station. Hear
ing from fleeing settlers of the raid,
Col. Sweet had decided to push for
ward at top speed to reinforce the little
party of defenders. The driver had
urged the same course, and the two
civilian passengers had naturally de
murred Then, when they found il too
late, they turned and strove to retrace
the road to l.ampasas, were headed eff
at dawn, hut fought way to Withcl-
r,.,s old dug-out, the driver and two
soldiers being killed, Col. Sweet and tie
corporal both shot in the attempt, and
the stage abandoned and burned. And
there in that sitting hole, without We
ter for the wounded, they had fought
off dash after dash of the Indians; but
their ammunition was almost gone,
and only two men had any fight LEFT IN
them, when they heard the welcoming
crack of the rcscuers' rifles. Even then
the Indians hung about all the long
afternoon and night, and Lambert got
his painful wound in heading a little
squad that ran the gauntlet to a neigh
boring spring for water fer the feyered
wounded. OF mis- own conduct Floyd
had little 10 say. t'What else did they
expect of Walton ?" was his mothers
comment. rs bravery SO rare an at-
tribute in the federal army?'D but he
could not say enough about young
Lambert I'VE were fighting for our
lives; we had to fight" he said; but
he iiskcd his TO fetch us water. / cay
that young fellows a trump" And he
flashed significant glance at Katesie,
for Cousin Bart, with the imbecility of
manhood, had let that domestic cat out
of the bag, and then. once started, had
told more. Floyd Walton, under pledge
of secrecy, was held n spell-bound lis
tener to Cousin Bart the second night
after his arrival, when the rest of the
family had gone to bed. Bart had
been celebrating his cousins deeds and
rejoicing over his return 10 the extent
of taugling his tongue, but Floyd could
not trip him on his facts. 'If you
don't believe me, you can ask the doc
tor-asl1 Col. Scroggs-or Walton
he'll be hyuh to-mawwo,' said his in
formant. That's the kind of Yank he
is, by Gawd, sub; an if thought they
was nav like him you bet I'd recon-
struct, too. Bat the Lawd don't make
too many like him, nor young Lambert,
either
And when Floyd finally went to his
room that night after the low
ing visit 10 his mothers bedside, he sat
long at the open easement, gazing out
on the soft, still beauty of the moonlit
night, his heart touched and thrilled
as it had not been for years, and his
pride humbled. While he, wayward
and forgetful of their needs, had left
mother and sisters to struggle for
tbap,uaIvaS anJ Ind Loot himself in vain
dreaming Of a sweet-faced girl who he
had early enough been warned was not
for him-while he, reckless, selfish,
weak, had abandoned himself to drink
and despair and then to the cold char
ity of the world--it was an alien and an
enemy, an uncouth soldier in the hated
blue, who had stood between the strick-
en- and helpless ones at home and abso-
lutte want and privation. The good
angel who ministered TO them in their
distress, even when stipulatiug that
they should never know whence came
the needed aid, and who finally became
the purchaser" Of the dcsolate and
ruined place, thereby supplying the
means TO make them so content and
comfortable now, was that creature Of
stroug contrasts, Capt Close:
Not until long after midnight did
Walton leave his seat by the open case
ment and seek his pillow; but there
was another watcher whose vigil OUT
lasted his. In the little batch Of let
tcrs brought by Cousin Bart from the
post Office that evening was one which
bore the Austin stamp and was dd-
dressed "a Lambert's hand. Reading Il
hurriedly, Floyd had changed color
and thrust it in his pocket, Katcsle
watching him with furtiye eyes, yet
never trusting herself to question.
II was Esther who eagerly demanded
news Of their absent friend "Oh, yes,
he's getting better" Floyd admitted,
but then faltered. When was he com
ing? Oh, Lambert didn't say. The
doctors probably wouldn't let him
travel just yet. The letter was main
ly about--other matters-ubout Col.
Sweet who didn't seem 10 be doing
as we'll as they could wish. IIia wife
was on the way to Join him. Didn't