Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-08-14


his wife and his mother-how his
thoughts wandered back to the peace
full old homestead In the fur northland,
and TO the teachings OF his boyhood
days. lie made sturdy fight against
the feeling Of loneliness that oppressed
him. He wished the wind did not blow
so sulkily, In such spiteful, vicious
puffs. II seemed as though nature had
combined with old Lady Walton to give
him ungracious welcome to this par
ticularly shady side Of the sunny south.
The wind itself was whispering sarcas-
tic and whitening remarks TO him. like
those the sergeant repeated rs coming
from Madam Walton to the defenseless
captain; and even Burns sense OF sub
ordination could not down his impulse
to chuckle over some Of them. What
would Lambert do or say II the prim
and starchy dame were to call upon
him, us she occasionally had on his su.
perior, driving him at last to the refuge
OF the nethermost depths Of his tent,
whence, as Burns declared, "the cap
tain couldn't be induced TO come out
till the old lady was back inside her
own door,"
The last time he "tied up Riggs
a punishment much resortcd to in the
rough war days and those that closely
followed them, especially by those off.
GERS who were themselves graduated
from the ranks OF the voluntecrs-it
was for trespass on the Walton place.
The fellow had climbed the fence and
was pilfering among the old fruit trees
when caught by Madam Walton. That
was bad enough, but he had been i'm.
pudent to her, which was worse. The
men themselves would probably have
duckcd him In the stream-the old,
self-respecting soldiers, that is-had the
captain not ordered his summary pun.
ishment. Lambert was wondering
what steps he should take in the inter.
ests of discipline. when he finally blew
out his candle. determined. II n possible
thing, to get TO sleep. II was just q
quarter-past IL when he wound his
watch and slowed II under his rude
pillow. His revolver, the days pur-
chase, lay, with some matches, close at
hand. lie had even placed his sword
and belt ut the foot OF his cot. The
last thing he thought Of before closing
his eyes was that he would have to get
lantern on the morrow, even II he
bought II Of Cohen; but II was also the
last thing he thought OF when the NOR.
row came.
Was it the wind again, whispering
ugly things, or the ghost OF Lady Wal.
ton, with her calculated tongue, that
reused him, he knew not how many
minutes or hours - later? Some
thing was whispering, surely. The
wind had been doing good deal of that
sort of thing all the night long among
the leaves, q good deal of snarling and
growing at times, and there was NUT
tered snarling going on around him
now. That might be the wind; but the
wind would not trip up over tent.
rope and say such blasphemous things
about it, even il II did nearly pull the
fiimsy structure down. In an instant
Lambert was wide awake.
"Who's there?" he challenged, stern.
".
No answer-not in words, at least
but there was sound as OF stcalthy, yet
hurried movement, more straining at
the ropes on the side nearest the cap.
tain's tent, and heavy, startled breath
ing.
"Who's there?" he repeated, reaching
for the revolver. answer, or fire."
Then came q mighty strain, jerk,
stumble and plunge, the sound as OF o
heavy fall. followed by instant scram.
bic and rush Of footballs around the
rear Of camp. Lambert was out Of bed
and into his boots in half minute;
but in his haste he upset the chair on
which lay the matches, and the box
went rolling to the floor. Pistol in
hand. he darted out In the night and
found it black as Erebus. Quickly he
ran 10 the first sergeant's tent, but
Burns wns hard to waken after the
long days work. Once reused, how.
ever, he was soon out, lantern in hand,
while Lambert hastily dressed, and
then together they secuted camp. a
glance at their tent showed that Riggs
and Murphy were still absent. A peep
at the watch showed that 1t was almost
two o'clock; search around Lambert's
tent revealed nothing beyond the fact
TINT the corner peg to which the tent.
fly was guyed was torn from the
ground, and the soft, sandy soil showed
that heavy boot-heels had made their
imprint. Then Burns, still lantern.
bearing, went crouching low around
the back Of Closes tent, while Lambert,
with straining ears, stood stock still an
instant in front, then, of a sudden, tore
like mad through the rousing camp,
out past the dim white canvas OF the
wagons, out past the startled sentry,
up the steep pathway to the hard red
road beyond, down which he ran on
the wings of the wind till he reached
the gateway to the forbidden ground,
for n woman's agonized shrek had
rung out upon the night, and the sound
Of blows, of crashing glass, of fierce
and desperate struggle, Of muttered
oaths, OF painting, pleading, half-stifled
cries, OF wild dismay and renewed
screams for help, all came crowding on
the ear from the heart OF the Walton
place.
fro DE Continued