The Winslow mail., 1898-12-17
TIE SUBALTERN.
By THEODORE ROBERTS.
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IT HE DAY had been Oyercharged
with sun and Unframed by any
wind; the white sand in the streets
had attained to such a heat that people
moved across it hurriedly. But at
eight o'clock fresh breeze blew in
from the bay, and Sandy McDuff barred
his forhcad to it with sigh of relief
Sandy was sitting IN front Of the head
quarters of one of the infantry regi-
ments, talking with the colonel, two
captains and subaitcrn. The camp
was set up in a grove Of Florida pines
McDulf listened very attentively to
every thing that the colonel and the
captains had to say; for these men
had smelled powder, felt steel and
heard the Indian war whoop. But he
closed his ears to the sub. (whO talked
a great deaD, and put him down as a
windbag. Perhaps the reason for this
was that Sandy was scribbier, and
felt that there was good copy in what
the other men had to say.
He lit Il Cuban cigarette, and men
toned the recent victory of the Amei-
can fleet over the Spanish. The sub
slapped his knee and turned to the
colonel.
"By thunder, sir" he exclaimed;
"those fellows deserve all they get
It would give me keen pleasure to meet
one face to face and shoot him down
like a dog"
The colonel looked at him for few
seconds without speaking. Then he
said: "Mr. Brown, you may hate a
man, ard think nothing is too bad for
him; but when you have had to kill one
YOU will not consider it such keen
pleasure"
Brown did not reply to this, and the
colonel seemed lost in somber thought,
Sandy was rather pleased with what
he considered the sitting upon" OF
the young lieutenant. One of the dear
est clauses of his philosophy was that
The men who talk least about fighting
are the ones who fight best.
One OF the captains, who had served
in the cavalry against the Indians, told
a story Of a major Of Irish extraction,
eve were out on rather a rough
Will GlIlo 1lIcitOA III NCAAA
mand," he began. twenty-five friend
ly Blackfeet, hired as trailers and
scouts, were put in my charge. One
night the major sent note over to me
which read something like this: Send
over six of your lazy Indians to do
guard duty
81 resented this term when applied
to my own men, so the first thing in
the morning I went over with them
myself. l saluted, reported the men
ready for duty, and then told the
major that, first of all, my command
was not crazy, and second, that they
were here to act as scouts and trailers,
and knew nothing of regular military
work. The major requested me to re-
member that we were a long way from
the post and that he was my superior
officer. I bowed, and returned to my
own tent Halt an hour later those
six Indians were back in their quarters.
I returned with them Immediately and
tried to make excuses for them, saying
again that they were unfit for sentry
duty The major was in a woeful rage.
"'You say they are trailers,' he cried;
then bring them over here double
quicll'
''He called to one of his men and
ordered him to drive two stakes into
the ground at q distance of about 200
wards from one another. Then the
major gave a carbine to one Of the red
skins and told him to shoulder it, Now,
you red IDIOT he said; do you see this
stake here and that stake over there?'
"The man looked and grunted.
"'All right; spend the next two hours
trailing from this one to that one.
See?'"
They tried to laugh at the captains
story, and then McDuff said Good
night" and started back for the town.
At the hotel one of the regimental
bands was playing. and the grounds
and the rotunda were gay with summer
dresses and dapper uniforms. Sandy
seated himself in a quiet corner and
talked 'war" with Billings, of the Ex-
change.
eve will start for the island within
seven days" said Billings.
That's been the time ever since I
came down here. Why don't you make
it ten for a changer" replied McDuff.
At that moment the band struck into
''The Star Spangled Banner" and
everyone arose. While standing thus
McDuff noticed a familiar head and
shoulders at the other side of the room,
by attentive uniforms. He
left Billings and hurried across, and the
uniforms made way for him.
The band played it's last selection
and retired. The newspaper men
drifted off to make copy for next days
papers. The girl in white and blue sat
on, and McDuff waved her fan. They
talked like old friends, which means
that sometimes they did not talk at all.
Yet they had known each other only
a week McDuff talked about the north
and she about the east. They dis
cussed books and hcrses-the press
and the army.
Il saw young Brown, Of the Tenth,
tonight. What lot he has to say
about things ne knows not Of" said
McDuff. As the girl did not answer,
he continued, telling Of the call
down delivered by the colonel.
She laughed-a little sadly.
ts,Tba ooloDaI I-uaVy- that Mp prOyyll