Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-01-15
CAPTAIN CHARLES KING a $3.50

Everybody was asleep over there. I
left my trunk at the railway station and
walked out"
"Why, told the sergeant to send
mule in last night on the chance of your
comm by the OWL Didn't anybody
meet you?"
"There was a mule, but no body"
laughed Lambert, Except darby
asleep in a freight car. The mule was
lying IN the dirt, and snapped his head
stall when tried to raise him."
"What became Of him? He didntget
away, die he2" asked Close, in great
anxiety.
"He didn't try to-" answered Lam
bert, in some amusement. Like the
eminent head of the late unpleasant
ness, all he asked was to be let alone. l
left him browsing in the public square"
and the bride an saddle, too? Great
Peter! That's bad. Some lousy Mig
gers got him by this time, or his trap
pins at least, an he'll swear the Freed
mans Bureau gave him the hull outfit,
and it'll be stopped against my pay.
Sergeant" he called; wish you'd go
right down town an catch up that mule
an"
II can't go, sir" promptly answered
Sergt. Burns, his hand going up in I'M
accustomed salute in Difference to the
presence of the new officer. I'm busy
with them raticn returns. Here, Fin
ney, you 60"
| Go where" said young soldier
squatting at his tent door and greasing
! pair of shoes with bit of bacon-rind.
He hardly deigned to look up.
The captain wants you to go and get
| that saddle mule he sent up last night.
Jake must have gone asleep and forgot
him.
would it be possible to send wagon
for ms trunll?' interposed Lambert at
this juncture, appealing to his superior.
I,Close hcsitated and made no immediate
reply. 1t was the sergeant who took
the responsibility:
III tend to it, if you please, sir. The
wagons going up in ten minutes to
haul some grain. Be lively now, Fin
ney. Drop them shoes and start" And
Finney, conscious, possibly, of some
change in the military atmosphere,
! gathered himself together and van
shcd
i Meantime, in his anxiety about the
government property thus placed in
jeopardy. the captain seemed lost to all
thought OF the newcomers comfort. 1t
was Sergt. Burns who came forward
with camp stoo! and prefer of further
hospitality.
IF the lieutenant can put up with
such rations, I'll send something from
the cook-ire, sir" said he, doubtfully,
looking OF his commander very much as
though he thought it high time for that
Lambert said he should be most CRATE
full if that could be done-and if there
were no objections; and he. too, looked
eXpectantly at the senior officer
II guess that's about the best we can
do" said Close, slowly. ''Tain't what
you've been accustomed to, but it's what
always eat. Send us up something,
superintendent for two; I'll take an
other snack with the lieutenant
And in less than five minutes Lambert
and his new comrade were seated by a
little fire on which n tin coffeepot was
Kissing, and with n broad pine shelf
upon their knees. from big tin mugs and
broad tin plates, were discussing q
smoking repast of pork and beans, tc
the accompaniment of bread and sirur
and creamless coffee. "It's the way
always prefer to live when I'm in the
field" said Close, land it only costs you
nine dollars Il month";"
Lambert was too hungry not to rel
ish even such breakfast. He fancied
he heard something that sounded great
ly like suppressed chuckle on the
part of the soldier cook at his seniors
remark upon the cost of living in the
field, but sensations and experiences
were crowding thicily upon him ant
there was little time for trifes.
Through the good Offices of Sergt
Burns, Il wall tent was pitched that
morning for "the new lieutenant" tc
the left, of the domicile of the company
commander; n wooden bunk wa:
knocked up in an CA tent in the back
and Lambert began unpacking hi
trunk and setting up housekeeping.
II suppose can get what furniture
want in town." said he to Close.
depends on what YOU want" replied
the senior, warily, land whether YOU
care to throw away your money
What'd you want to get? They will
skin the last cent out of you there a
Cohen's."
II merely wanted some cheap trucl
for camp, and some washstund fiXings,
Lambert answered, falling into the yer
nacular of his comrade with the case o
one just out of the national school
where every known American dialec
can be heard-'things I can throw
away when we leave"
Close was silent Il moment. ~ can lie
you have everything you need, + yo;
amt particular bout their helm new
They're just as good rs anything yol
can buy. and won't cost You near ST
much" Then, after little hesitation
"They amt mine to give, or I'd let 70,
: have them forEothing."
Lambert had precious little none,
left, even after drawing his Novembe
pay in New Orleans; but he had bi
mileage account to collect, for in thos
days nothing was paid to the youni
graduate in advance, even though h
: had to find his way by the lsthmus Il
his comrade, and by evening was put il
, possession of an odd lot of camp furni
, turc, some items of which were i'm GOO
repair and others valuable only as relic
, of the war a camp mattress am