The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1897-08-26
CAPThIN CLOSE
loopsrssAs, 1894, BY J. b. L,ppInoo,. Col
Ix.CoSrrSuEp.

lowed to see that all was in proper order
Ham and eggs, soldier coffee" can of
milk, corn-bread and hardtack, were set
before him with pardonable pride and
Burns explained that they bought eggs,
milk, and corn-bread of an old darky
who came over from the village almost
every day. Then Lambert bethought
him of his captured pail of butter, and
brought it from the tent. This does
not belong to me- he said. 1T rolled
out from the Walton hedge last evening.
Do you know who their regular Gus
toner is?"
'I don't, sir. Yet know Mcbride
and others sometimes had butter-good
butter too, like this. The captain
doesn't buy any, and wouldn't allow the
company to buy any there. Not that he
cared. sir; only the old lady was so up
pish and made such q row when any of
our fellows were seen even talking TO
her people that he gave regular orders
forbidding it. No one from the Walton
place dare set foot inside camp, and he'll
make it hot for Riggs when he gets
back. Murphy is less to blame, but will
have to go to Ship island all the same, 1
reckon"
"How are those two this morning?"
Riggs is stupid drunk yet, but Muir
ply swears he'd only gone to try to get
Riggs out of trouble; he'd hardly been
drinking at all. He begs to see the lieu
tenant, sir. He says he can explain the
whole thing"
And so, later that morning, after
Lambert had given his men a further
lesson by inspecting both company and
camp and pointing out no end of things
which could not, he said, be tolerated
in future, Murphy was brought to his
tent. His face and hands were badly
cut in places, but his bruises were of
little account. With the best inten-
tions in the world, the good lady had
not the strength for the trouncing the
fellow had deserved at her hands. The
story he told was hardly credible. Lam
bert could have ordered him back with
sharp rebuke for his falsifications, but
a glance at Burns war-worn face,
clouded and perplexed, made the young
commander pause. ''Do you really ex-
pect me to believe this?" he asked, and
Murphy answered.: I'm ready to make
oath to it before the praste, sorr.''
And this, in effect, was the Irishman's
tale: He had known his "bunky''-Riggs
only since that worthy's enlistment
in the company the previous winter.
But this much of Riggs almost every
body knew; that he had been a SER
geant during the war days and was
serving an enlistment in the regular
cavalry when deprived, for persistent
drinking, of his chevrons. The troop
to which he was attached had been sta
toned at Quitman and in this section of
the south for a year or more, but was
ordered to the Indian country just
about the time of Riggs discharge by
expiration of term of service. Then,
after a protracted spree in New Or
leans, he turned up at the barracks and
'took on" again in the infantry, and in
the very company which, oddly enough,
was so socn ordered up to the region he
knew SO well. Indeed, Riggs claimed
when drinking to have acquaintance
not only with the Walton ladies, but
with some of the most prominent men
in Quitman county, and frequently
boasted of the good times he would have
could he only get over there. Another
shipg about Riggs: He had twice. got
Murphy TO go as his substitute on cer-
tain detachment or posse duty, offering
as excuse that marching wore him out.
yet admitting to Murphy that there
were other reasons. "There are men in
this section who'd shoot me on sight
get the drop on me-pick me off from
the woods or fences" he had explained.
Murphy believed him, and believed, too,
his statement that he had powerful
friends even among officers and gentle
men who had fought through the war
on the southern side. "He got money
when he needed it. and spent it like
gentleman" said Murphy; which. be.
ing interpreted, meant that he literally
squandered it on his comrades.
But Riggs had of late been out of
money; he couldn't hear from his
friends" said Murphy, and was getting
in trouble. He owed poker debts in
the company and liquor debts in town.
He couldn't get drink on trust and
the men We're shy of playing with him;
but he had always been liberal to Muir
Pby iuiuo. StoOu
by him now. About nine o'clock, there
fore, the previous evening, he noticed
that Riggs was greatly excited when an
old darky came shambling in and gave
him little note. The negro had oc-
casionally come before, and did not
seem to belong either in town or at the
Walton place. Riggs stole out to the
road, despite Murphy's warning, and
came back in ten minutes, bidding Muir
ply in eager whisper TO be quick and
come with him. 1t was evident even
then that Riggs had had a drink or two.
Murphy reminded him of the lieuten-
ants orders and begged him TO run no
risk; and then Riggs broke out and
told him that, come what might. he'd
simply got to go to town, and Murphy
with him. He would explain when they
got out of camp, but there wasn't
minute to lose; and Murphy went along,
"just to keep him out of trouble" Out
in the darkness stranger joined them.
gave Riggs some low-toned orders, but
refused to let him have another drink.
They were stealing along the road to-
gether, trying to dodge the fiickering
freight. when it suddenly flared up
and must have betrayed them, for a mo-
ment later they heard Burns shouting
after them. Then the stranger slept
fhe fence" in N The Walton nlaee. Ri0Us