The St. Johns herald., 1897-09-04

DOWN.
 blood relation of the ColonePs, his pO- sition would have been made so un- comfortable In one way and another that he would have been forced to re sign.
 He not only drank too much to keep , his dignity and maintain the respect due an officer but was fault-finding and tyrannical, and was given to med ding with petty affairs which were none of his business. Capt. Bowers excuse for getting down" on Private l Green was that the recruit was impu- dent and arrogant. When this was slfted down it was found that he had l questioned the soldier regarding his past life and the reasons which had in- duced him to enlist, and this curiosity had been by no means satisfied. He may have been little stiff in his re- fusal, as was bis right under the cir cumstances, but his refusal to unbOsom himself made the captain his enemy. and for months he was q Dersocu+ad man. lev JUrcrS descend rom their pedestal to nag an enlisted man. but Capt. Bowers did 1t to his own shame and to the scandal of the post. That he was an enemy of Private Green made all the sergeants and corporals down on the man, and as conse- quence he put in more days in the guardhouse than in his barracks. It was the general belief that the recruit was trying his best, and that he was by no means given a fair show. Capt. Bowers knew that this was the feeling, but that only made him the more per sistent in his course.
 After three or four months something happened which should have made the captain change his program and feel that he owed Private Green a debt of gratitude. Companies B and D were scouting along the eastern edge of the great Staked Plains of Texas in search of Indians, with whom we were then at war. At noon one day the two com panies separated to beat up both sides of ridge, and after a mile or so the B men were suddenly charged by about 100 Indians who had been concealed by fringe of bushes. The troopers were taken by surprise, but made a good fight of 1t, and after ten minutes beat off their assailants. In their first rush the Indians surrounded Capt. Bowers, who was few yards ahead of his con- pany, and they sought to make him cap tive instead of killing him. But for the action of Private Green, who dashed forward to the help of his officer while all others were confused for the mo- ment. the Captain would have been taken.
 It went down in the military reports that the new man killed three redskins with his own hand, and all his com radeS declared that Le saved the leader of the troop. For the next two or three weeks there was a cessation of the nag sings, but the fact that he owed his life to the man he had persecuted ran Llcd iu the Captains breast and after a MnIIe some excuse was Iounu TOT sending Private Green to the guard house in disgrace. The man made up his mind that he was being bounded. and that life would be made miserable. and he decided to desert. It is probable that the sentry on duty at midnight winked at the escape from the guard house. but it was unfortunate for Green that he should meet his captain face to face before he was clear of the grounds. So it came about, and Capt. Bowers seized and sought to dptain him. In the struggle he was knocked down and rendered unconscious for a time, and next morning the chase after the deserter was taken up and pushed with great energy. The country was secured for days and days. but Private Green had disappeared like a shadow
 4 month after the assault and deser- tiOn Company E was ordered out alone for scout over the same ground as be- fore. with orders to pick up the trail of any small war party and follow 1t up vigorously Such trail was tound leading straight out upon the sandy desert. but It had not been followed above two miles when the troopers ran upon a large force of Indians in am- bush behind a ridge of sand and were badly cut up anI scattered. Capt. Bowers horse was wounded at the first yolley, and mad with pain and fright dashed off to the west and could not De checked. The troop broke up under tne fire of the Indians. and after sunering a heavy loss made back to the tort ID