The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-09-10
GhPThIN CLOSE
By CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Copyright, 1894, by ]. B. Lppincott Col
V.-CONTNCED.

Copyright, 1884, by ]. B. Lppincott Col
V.-CoNTNUED.
The effect of this unexpected TRADE
was remarkable. The knot of civilis L
listeners, who had come to get such fun
out of the situation as the circum
stances would permit, and who had
been indulging in no little half-stifled
laughter, were evidently amazed at this
new side to the Yankee officers char
acter, and stood silent and decidedly ap
preciative listeners to his denunciation
of the luckless Parmeiee. The soldiers,
who had for some months been tasting
the comforts of military service under
civil control, and trudgirg all over
Chittomingo county day in and day out,
on the mysterious mission of serving
process" were evidently tickled that
their commander should at last have
seen for himself what they had more
than half suspected all along-that
Parmelee was an arrant coward, who
had held his position and made his
record for efficiency in enforcing the
laws only when big squad of regulars
was at his back.
AS for Lambert, whose sole knowl-
edge of affairs in the south was derived
from the accounts published in the
northern journals and inspired almost
without exception by 'carpet-bag" poll
ticians, and who fully expected to find
himself pitted against determined ar
ray Of ex-confederates engaged in the
slaughter Of federal officials, white and
black, the young New Highlander be-
gan to look upon the whole affair as
another practical joke devised by his
new associates simply Ito test his grit
or gullibility." This, at least, was his
first impression, until the sight of the
into the square under command of the
first sergeant, and another look at
Closes burning brown eyes and Parme
lees hangdog face convinced him that
so far as they were concerned there
was no joke.
But how about the chuckling natives
now augmenting their number every
moment? Certainly there could be no
doubt as to the contempt they felt for
''the SQUIRE" as they facetiously termed
Parmelee, or the ridiculc which Closes
appearance lad excited until he had
well-nigh finished his denunciation of
the civil officer. Then for an instant
there was almost a ripple of applause.
They watched him as, in his uncouth.
ill-ftting, unsoldierly garb, the COM
mander strobe angrily back and be-
gan searching the wall and window
shutters of the Jail for signs of bullet
marks.
Meantime, gradually recovering con-
fidence or hope, the besieged in the eel
lar of the Westinghouse began to par
ley. The bell ceased ringing, and hum
BILE voices were heard asking who were
outside. A brusque order in Closes
gruffest tones to "Come up out of that
hole and account for your prisoners"
seemed to cause unlimited joy. There
was sound of unbarring doors and
scrambling on wooden stairs, and pres
emily the portals opened an inch or
two and cautious peeps were taken.
The sight of the blue uniforms was
enough. The defenders, white and col
ored, to the number of six, dusty but
uninjured, came gladly forth into the
afternoon sunshine. by CAD, fellows.
we had hard work standin' off that
crowd till you come" began the fore
most, another Of the Parmelee type.
There must ha' been half Chittomingo
county in here, and the bullets flew
like
But here guffaw of derisive laughter
from across the street, the crestfallen
face of Parmclee, and the quizzical grin
on the sun-tanned features of the SOL
! - I. g Co., &c
words. There stood Close, glowering a
| him.
FLEW like what, you gibberin' idiot?
The only builet-hole in the hull square
that hasn't been here for six weeks is the
one in that wuthless mule there. You
dam towards ran for shelter an let
your pris'ners loose; that's plain as
the nose on your face. l don't care
for the pris' ners-that's your business;
but what 1 wants our mule. Lieut..
Lambert" he continued, addressing his
silent junior, I'm as ready as any man
to fight for the flag, but for six months
now I've been sittin' here furnishin'
posses to back up these fellers maxim
arrests all over the country, because
them was my orders. 1 haven't seen
a niger abused. 1 haven't seen the
uniform insulted. haven't seen a sign
of kuklux; nothin' but some contra
band stills. I've obeyed orders an
helped 'em to make arrests of people
1 don't personally know nothin' about,
an you see for yourself they dasn't lift
a hand to hold 'em. I'm tired O backin'
up such a gang of towards, an 1 don't
care who knows it. March the men
back to camp, sir. I'm goin' after that
mule"
VI.
With the going down of that even
ing's sun Lieut.. Newton Lambert had
finished his first day of company duty
in the sunny south, and found himself
commanding the temporary post of
Tugaloo. The responsibility now de-
volving upon him was the only thing
that enabled him to resist an almost
overwhelming sensation of depression
and disgust. Marching at route step
back to camp, he had held brief and
iow-toneo conference with Sergt. Burns
and learned something of the circum-
stances that led up to the events of the
day. "Old man Potts." said the SER
geant, was a character. He owned a
place halfway over towards Quitman