Daily camera., 1897-01-15
THE DAILY CAMERA.

a projecting knoll, and was lost in 9
rough, red clav, country road. \ ferce.
with a thick hedge of wild-rose-bushes,
was to his left-leaves and roses lcrg
since withered-and over the tops he
caught sight of the roof and upper
story of son1e old southern homestead,
at which he had . better peep from
tie gateway farther aIorg. A path Of
rcd brick led to the flight of steps,
broad and hordered by unpretcnt o.
illustrates. Dingy white columns
supported the roof of "a wide piaZZ2.
f,rnolle was drifting from a battered
pipe projecting from the red brick
chimney at the north end, ard the
morning air was family scented with
most appetizing fragrance of brotling
ham. It made Lambert ravenous.
Somewhere around the next bend n
the road. beyond the northward eXtrem
ity of the old fence, he could hear th7
sound of voices and splash ng Of wate!.
fastening on, he found himself over
looking level bench surround.
on three sides by deep bend of the
stream and partially separated frcr
the red roadway by fringe of stunted
trees and thick, stubborn bushes; an,
here, in an irregular square, Lamber-
came face to face with the crcaTpncn.
of the first company, outside of West
Point, it was ever his luck to join. AT
that particular moment he was just
about ready to resolve it should be the
last.
On two sides Of the square, facing
each other and perhaps 20 yard
apart, were the ga" tents of the com
pany, ten on side. At the flank farth-
est from the road and pitched so as to
face the center of the inclosure was
wall tent, backed by one or two of the
smaller pattern. Nearest the road waz
second wall tent, used, possibly, b.
the guard-though no guards were VIZ
ible-the white canvas cover of an arm
wagon, and a few more scattered "a
tents. Cool.-fres had been ablaze ard
were now smouldering about the wag-
on. Several men in gray woolen shirt:
were washing their faces at the stream;
others, in light-blue overcoats, were
saunterin~ about the tents. some of
whose occupants. as could be easily
seen, were still asleep.
Standing at the edge of the winding
road, and thinking how easy matter
it would be to toss a hand-grenade into
the midst of the camp, Lambert paused
a moment and studied the scene. Rest
ing on his sword, still in it's chamois
case, with his cloak and satcLo'
thrown over his shoulder, the young
Officer became suddenly aware of a man
wearing the chevrons of a corporal who.
fshing-rod in hand, was standing jusl
beyond clump of bushes below and
looking up at him with an expression
on his shrewd, ''Bowery- boy face in
which impudence and interest were
about equally mingled. So soon as he
found that he was observed, the cor
poral cooked his head on one side, and,
with arms akimbo and quizzical grin
on his freckled phiz, patronizingly in
quired:
"Well, young feller, who made them
clothes?"
Lambert considered a moment before
making reply. One of his favorite in
structors at the academy had spoken to
the graduating class about the splendid
timber to be found among the rank and
file of the army. 'They are like so
many old oaks" said he, and some of
Lambert's chums had never forgotten
t. Neither had Lambert. This" said
he to himself, ''is possibly one of the
scrub oaks. l assume he doesn't i'm
aginc me to be an officer, and, in any
event, he could say so and | couldn't
prove the contrary. Ergo, I'll let him
into the secret without letting him i'm
agine I'm nettled."
They were made by my tailor, cor
poral," said he. ole also made the uni
form which |, perhaps, should have put
on before coming out to cam3.' (''That
ought to fetch him." thought he.)
''Where viii | find Capt. Close?"
Hes over there" said the corporal,
with careless Jerk of the head in the